El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-20
NEW EMPIRE
Of EAST PLAN
Of THE GREEKS
Modern Grecians Feel They
Are Direct Descendants
of Classic Heroes.
ATHENS MODERN
IN MANY WAYS

w With ta de-: 81, ~ marking arsfa the tn.
attitude Of Greece toward the
observation-disclosures and Turkish
struggle on the outermost fringe OF
the Balkans, and while her political
leaders are working for and against
the continuance of neutrality. a Sener-
al sketch Of this modern kingdom pre-
pared for the National Geographic So
ciety by George Higgins Moses. United
States minister to Greece and MOntene-
gro in l9O9-1g12. forms . timely and in
strucuve commentary upon present
events there. In the last two generations
the interests Of Greece have expanded
so rapidly as to awaken in the minds
Of many Of its patriots ambitions or
Eastern empire, a re-inspiriting Of Byz-
antium's dust
Descendants of Ancient Heroes.
Modern jewellers in Greece feel
themselves to be the direct descendants
of Byzantine Greeks and Of the heroes
OF glorious classic Greece" Mr.. Moses
writes; and. he continues. their life has
shown a persistent continuity which
warrants their claim for. whether
their land has been ruled by n Roman
emperor, a Frankish duke, a Venetian
baillie. or a Turkish pasha. the thread
OF Hellenic existence has remained un-
broken Their religion. their tongue and
their traditions have survived all
change Of masters and all forms Of
dominion. and. so, Greek character is
much the same today as it was two
thousand years ago"
athens NOW n Modern City.
In many respects Greek life today,
also. is the same as it was at the birth
Of Christ, says this writer. who has
seen Greek peasants blowing with bent
sticks, just as Adam may have accom-
pllshed his plowinE after being
banned from Paradise. Athens. the
splendid OF old, and today becoming
the Paris Of the Leyant'. however,
according TO Mr.. Moses, is distinctly
a modern city. II has wide and gay
streets, dotted with small parks. and
adorned with many handsome public
buildings, most Of them gifts of rich
Greeks who have spent in the mother
country money earned abroad
Greeks swarm the seas for a living
as Of old, he says and. as Of old. their
passionate sOciability draws them from
the country to the town and cities.
One-tenth Of the population Of Greece
is to be found in Athens and Piraeus.
The drain Of emigration from the rural
districts TO native cities and to cities
in other lands is enormous. and. IN the
words OF cabinet minister, il cousti-
tutes "a grave national hemOrrhage."
In some villages in the PolOponnesus.
Mr.. Moses explains there remain
scarcely enough men to fill the offices.
Nevertheless. he continues, emigration
has been a benefit to the country. for
large sums of money are sent back
each year. especially from America, TO
families who remain behind, and TO this
steady American stream OF gold may be
traced the appreciation Of Greek paper
currency. Many of Europes backward
nations. like Greece. gathered much OF
their early stimulus from the money
which poured out Of the rich United
States back home.
Politics a Curse.
Politics have been a curse OF modern
Greece as well as they were a curse TO
ancient Greece MI Noses concludes
ITO speak the truth" he says. politics
in Greece has meant a sOrdid thing
There are no questions Of principle
which divide parties there, but parties
have arisen from time to time in ac-
cordance with ambitions or political
necessities of individual leaders-and
the struggle has been wholly between
the ins and the outs