New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-02
MUST PLAY SAFE,
IS GREEK STAND
Better to Keep What We
Have than Risk Our Win
nings,' Says Prince.
CONSTANTINE BACKED
BY ROYAL FAMILY
King Unmoved by Criticism to
Which His Arbitrary Acts
Have Subjected Him.

Athens, Dec. I've believe that II
is better for Greece to make sure Of
keeping what she has than to risk what
she has just won in two bloody, costly
wars in the hope of getting more"
One Of the princes Of Greece was
speaking, explaining the attitude of the
royal family, which has been so much
crit cised both here and abroad. This
is no time" he continued. "for a mere
fox TO be greedy. There are too many
lions and igers on the prowl for prey
these days."
II the royal estate Of the House Of
Schleswig- Holstein-S onderburr- Glucks-
burg is at stake in Greece at this mo-
ment, as many are ready to affirm. the
fact would never appear from the de-
meanor Of those most concerned. II It
is just conceivable, as has been de-
clared, that the events of the next few
months may leave Constantine |, King
of the Hellenes, W. thout throne. the
King himself seems to be the last per-
son in Greece to suspect any such pos
sible eventuality.
Constantine is undoubtedly well
aware that the tenacity with which he
has held to his determination that
Greece shall not enter the European
struggle has brought on one political
cris after another in the internal af
fairs Of the country He has followed
with apparent equanimity the creation
and fall of one Cabinet after another
and cannot be ignorant that he has set
himself against the expressed will OF
his people and has driven the peoples
idol. Eleutherios Constantine Venizelos.
into political corner from which there
appears TO be no outlet; that he Is
looked upon as having become in fact.
if not in name, the sole dictator the
future destinies of Greece. But it can
not be seen that anyth ng of this dis
concerts him for a moment. He simply
awaits what he considers the appropri-
ate moment for action. Then he acts.
The Kings brothers and his children
regard the course the head Of the fam
lily is steering with complete conf
dence, being convinced that Constan-
tine knows what he is about-that he
knows the Greeks better than the
Greeks know themselves. Whatever
the personal influence Of the Queen.
who is the German Emperor's sister
and, being a very clever and very de-
termined woman, she has no little in
fuence-the responsibility is Constan-
tines. And the inner circles declare
that he has his family back of him the
whole way.
On the ordering Of the mobilization
King Constantine did not go at once to
S..lonica to place himself at the head OF
his country's troops as commander-in-
chief His late illness was given AS the
reason; but the real reason, II is de-
clared, lay in his unwillingness TO
leave the political direction. of the
country in the hands of NJ. Venizelos
or his party. Not even when foreign
troops were landed on Greek soil at
Greece's second city did Constantine
alter his decision. He merely sent
his twenty-five year-old son. the "Dla-
dochos" or Crown Prince, George, Duke
of Sparta, in his place, and detail d the
Young mans thirty-three-year-old un.
Gle, Prince Andrew, to look after him.