The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-21
Athens Dreams OF Re- csGs bI ishmcnt
OF byzantine Empire Under
standard of Modern Hcilcnes.
FREE "ENsI.AvED BRETHREN
In Prosecution of "the Great Idea"
Men of Hellenic Blood Have Poured
Out Their Treasure and Given Their
lives Freely.

{ peiHSersnls, ~ described py a loHS~
time friend for the people Of this
country IN q communication to the
National Geogra phic Society. by
George Higgins Moses formerly
United States ambassador to Greece
\ sketch Of MT Moses intimate
study of Greece OF today, its aspira-
tlons, its accomplishment and its
sympathies. has Just been prepared
for the express by the society. OF the
attitude OF tho modern Greek, MIR
Moses says;
Greece Of today deems herself
and is in truth--the heir to the ages
Net only from her classic past. bat
from every ERA AZ foreign DONNA
ton. her .uCornpara spirit has
taken and asstmilated some feature
now distinguishable IN her everyday
life Roman. Venetian. and Mosiem
! have thus paid tribute to the brave
people whom they have oYerriddeu.
but whom they could not snhdue.
There are few parallels-in1eed, at
the present moment / can recall bat
one---to the striking racial phenome-
non OF Hellenic continuity through
out the picissltuaes Of two thousand
wears Modern research has pene-
trated the dark byways of medieval
Greek history and we now know that
tho Greeks, whatever their temporary
fate. have preserved unbroaen the
thread of their national existence.
Az the central inspiration OF Greek
political development. Mr.. Moses tells
OF their Great Idea" This Great
idea the writer says. has exerted a
powerful influence both upon internal
and external politics Of the nation for
nearly half century. In brief, II is
vnoshing less than dream Of re-
b. Snt-i IJyyYM fg1a 4 st,v a
under the standard Of modern
Greece 1t is the most dazzling and
steadEast inspir alton OF the modern
Hellertes; and in the present 'turbu
lent and conflicting policies OF the
Greeks, IT'S varying application will
likely be apparent more often than
any other Greek motive
i .sIne Great Idea"
"Out OF the Great Idea arises that
term. OF classification which refers to
those Of Greek blood who exist under
Turkish Serb. or Bulgarian jurisdic
ton as the enslnved brethren in
contradistinction to those who are
free Greeks OF the little kingdom OF
the Hellenes; and the effort. blood,
and treasure expended by the free
Greek in behalf OF their subtugated
kindred IN Crete and Macedonia. even
pxisr to the late Balkan wars. are in
.ffe dfhle IN amount.
! "Jn pursuit OF the Great Idea
Greek bands for wears ravaged those
. portions OF Macedonia and Epirus
! which are not rreponderantly Hellenic
: in blood and aggravated the age-long
hatred between Greek and Bulgar,
which with difficulty was laid aside
but once. and then only long enough
to dispossess the Ottoman oppressor,
4, vuha fawth wit y
redoubIed fury. Because of the Great
Idea, Crete was periodically upset In
revolution and for century this the
largest ana the most fertile Of the
Aegean Isles was rendered useless to
either Turk or Greek. Spurred on by
the Great idea Constantinos flying
columns crossed the Thessallan
frontier. forced the Meluna Pass
wiping out It's tragic memo cries from
the war OF 1897 and came in triumph
to Saloniki. It was the Great Idea
which drove the southern Epirotes to
their revolt against Incorporation In
the autonomous Albania which the
ambassadors had so summary set up
at London"
I Modern Greee.
Modern Greece. the writer Gays.
has accomplished so much In so short
a time~-for Its independence only
began with the conclusion OF the
London Protocol in 1s30-that great
praise cannot be withheld from its
( energetic people it is. he continues
essentially land OF agriculture. pre-
em!nently intended to be such; but.
owing to the tremendous drain by
emigration from the rural districts
the progress of agriculture has been
painfully deficient; and In many
places the land is titled only by wo-
men and girls while the men are
away In America amassing modern
fortunes,
i or the Royal family. Mr.. Higgins
offers the following interesting com
ment;
4 The Royal family in my day was
made up OF. many nationalities. The
king was a Dane; his queen Rus
sian. the Crown Princess a sister of
the Kaiser; the Princess George of the
Bonaparte family. the Princess
Nicholas a Russian Grand Duchess;
the Princess Andrew a Battenburger;
and since they all had English nurses
and governesses and since it was
necessary to find some common
linguistic ground for the royal group.
English was the prevailing tongue in
the royal households; and 1t is spoken
generally at the ministries, In the
hotels. and in the larger shops. The
late King took lively interest in
practical agriculture. and his farm
properties AT Tatoi. an attractive
chateau IN the hills to the north OF
Athens. were probably administered.
To his patronage the Royal Agr!cul-
tural Society, owes much OF its sue
cess. and under the care Of this in
stitut.on there are now several aEri-
cultural experiment stations in vari-
Gus parts OF the kingdom.
I Splendid Fighting Machine.
The Greek army Is splendid ma
chine the writer explains:
Thanks TO the labors of the French
mission, which, within recent years.
has reorganied the army. and to the
splendid example OF the soldier-king.
{ Constantine, and to the magnificent
victories of the campaigns Of the
! Balkan war. the Greek troops nnd
themselves the equal OF any body OF
fighting men in all tho world. Martial
spirit yet remains among Greek men.
and the patriotic Greek regards him.
self as OF greatest value to the State
when he can present himself with
many stalwart sons for service in the
army Among the. lower classes
4 indeed in most walks OF life--the
birth or "A man child In regarded as q
supreme favor and large families