Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-03-19

The story runs that the old king called
Prince George to the throne room
made the lad mount the steps of the
throne and saluted him as king of the
Hellenes.
In October, 1868. the young king, in
bis eighteenth year and quite ignorant
of modern Greek, landed at the Pi.
raeus, his sole attendant being Count
Spoueck. of whose influence the Greeks
speedily became so jealous that King
George found it prudent to dispense
with his companionship.
MY strength lies in the love of my
people," was his motto at this time,
and his policy in his first proclamation
issued to his subjects was to make
Greece a model for the eastern Euro
pean kingdoms. He set TO work to
identify himself with the Greek nation
and to divest himself of his antecedent
associations. That he has succeeded
surprisingly well Is attested by the fact
that he still holds the throne; for the
Greeks are by no means easily gov
err able. When he landed In Athens
there was a strong party opposed to his
selection. and his adherents and oppo
nents celebrated his coming by fighting
out their differences in the streets.
20 these civil disturbances were add
ed the fact that the treasury was emp
ty and the government dlsorganized
The cession of the Ionian Islands to
holn hn r. fncy tp
larity. and he gained still more by
sacrificing to Greek clamor the society
Of his friend. Count Spoueck. who re
turned to Denmark. Alone, unassist
ed. without experience. the young king
faced the task of ruling country the
crown Of which no other prince would
accept on any terms.
Was Born Ruler.
Among the first things he did was to
assist the nation to produce consti
tuition for Itself. Here he proved his
natural right to rule by applying the
closure and commanding those who
were charged with the duty of framing
the constitution to come to an end Of
their disputations. The constitution.
which is more radical than any In Eu
rope and has no second chamber, was
at length agreed upon.
Before 1t got into working order
came the Cretan revolution In 1866
Here the king. with shrewd sagacity
showed himself more Greek than the
Greeks themselves, espouslng the pol
ICY OF the liberatio of all Greek speak
ing peoples from Turkish rule. He
worked hard then to add Crete to the
Greek dominions. and though the pow,
ers then. as now. would not allow him
to succeed his effort won him the es.
TEEN of his subjects and lessened their
chagrin at the defeat European diplo-
macy had imposed upon them. All the
king has now done Is consistent with
his policy in 1866.
He did good stroke for Greece and
for himself in the eyes Of his people
at the Berlin congress, regaining for
the Hellenic kingdom much of Thessal
and Epirns When his life long policy
Is considered 1t is very surprising that
one member of bis house should now
DS ledtAuS liOOljS " tuC
frontier and another be In command of
a fotilla In Cretan waters? The won
der is that action on these lines was
not taken before.
BY his marriage in 1867 with the
Grand Duchess Olga of Russia,
daughter of the Grand Duke Constan-
tine. he not only gained a clever and
charming wife. but also an alliance
with the Russian reigning house. The
union was highly popular In Greece.
for to the ardent Imagination of the
people 1t signified a kind Of political CO
partnery with Russia-at least in all
matters adverse to the hated Turk
Within year a crown prince was born
"a Greek prince. born on Greek soil
whose mother tongue would be Greek
aud whose church would be that of the
people. After the crown prince there
came six brothers and sisters. The sue.
eession was thus assured and a dynas
ty established.