The sun., 1916-12-03
KING CONSTANTINE
HUMAN COCKTAIL
Courageous, Energetic and q
Good Leader, He Has q
Violent Temper.
IDoLIzED BEFORE WAR
Often Cursed Oldest Generals
in Public for Slight Infrac-
ton Of Rules.
1DoLIzED BEFORE WAR

The part King Constantine is playing
IN the tragedy nov being enacted at
Athens makes the following article which
APPEARED in the London Daily Mati un-
usually interesting. 1t wal written by
Walter Christmas. n Is headed:
"TINo. A HUMAN COCKTAIL"
by one who knows him WE'LL"
Mr.. Christmas writes:
King Constantine Of Greece Is one Of
the strsnsest phenomena Of the present
line Hardly three a ago he was
the idolized hero-King of the united
Greek nation, and now
King Constantine character Is
brusque and obstinate: he Is I o a re-
markable degree void OF hat superior
intelligence and all ~conQuerlng amiability
which characterized the deceased King
George, and which enabled him to lead
the country through many trying and
dificult years to development. extern
son and honored position.
LACKS sels.eo.tro,.
From his very childhood the present
King has shown a deplorable lack of
self-control. His fts Of uncomfortable
anger n temper were always O source
OF deep and never slumbering concern
10 his parents and brothers inc sisters.
And the f1ts did not grow less as years
passed by-on the contrary. 1t goes
without saying that the Kings tempera-
ment did not soften when a painful i'll
ness about a year and a half age neces-
stated an operation. the result OF which.
90 far. has been a wound which does
not seem to heal.
on the other hand. the King is being
praised for his great loyalty. for faith
fulness toward friends. and, last but not
least. for his kind and friendly behavior
toward the soldiers OF the armies he
% often led to victory. A handsome
and manly appearance. a courageous
energetic and resourceful General, . vi
whose usual hard and sullen counte-
nance Is at times radiated by a charm
ing and almost boyish smile that leaves
big dimples in his yellow face.
His Majesty II a sort of n human
cocktail" as one OF the Representatives Of
enc Of the big American newspapers once
remarked to me after an audience Of the
King.
The last time I saw the King. a few
months ago. he was seated on horseback
reviewing 20. 700 troops-a royal. proud
and disnihed appearance with the baton
resting on the saddletree. while keenly
watching every detail Of the equipment
and movements Of the dehling troops.
All Of a sudden the blood rushed to his
rsIe face he raised the baton as II he
would throw II. and at the pitch Of his
~angriest voice a flow Of reprlmands and
offensive oaths left his royal lips-a flow
Of words which. translated into simple
English. would make the stoutest trooper
In the British army blush. Then his
Majesty hammered the baton against the
saddle so as to make his brown Hungar-
ian geiding prance and rear-and the
little lntermexzo was over and the re-
view continued.
Swears at Omcers.
Even the Oldest Of his Colonies and
Generals do not escape when these un-
conirollable Ats overpower the King.
oaths are rained upon their gray heads.
and many a valuable officer has with
anger resigned after such treatment.
1t was surely n mistake that the mill
tary education Of the King was entrusted
10 Berlin and Potsdam, because ever II
he learned in the most excellent way the
arr OF warfare. which was very useful to
MIN In the wars OF later years. his whole
character and behavior were being
"Prussianized." which chould only do
harm to the future ruler Of Greece.
RUSSIAN militarism can never grow deep
IN independent, free and democratic Hell.
las.
The Kings knowledge OF Germany's
PREPARATION for war and OF the whole
construction Of the titanic war machine
which he had been studying carefully
from the very beginning led him to be-
lleVe firmly In the ultimate victory Of the
Central lowers. He-like nan others
al over the world-made this a asis or
which to establish all hls hopes for the
future development of his country. And
the events of the first year of war sup
ported his views to the greatest extent.
more particularly the defeat OF the Eng
i1'h and French at Gallipoli. Most brill
liant and attractive fanfares OF music
have undoubtedly been sounded from
Berlin and Vienna for their own elorin-
cation and have impressed the Kings
mind far more strongly than the sober
offers OF the Entente.
King 10 Ambitious.
King Constantine IL a most ambitious
man-in which respect he Is an equal
match for Nenizelos. It was clear to
the King and the Premier hat the world
war should he used as a stepping stone
for a big step forward toward the rea-
iizatlon OF the whole Hellenic ideal,
which means the extension OF the 'front.'
iers OF Greece to all parts Of the country
round the .Egean Sea inhabited by
Greeks-Macedonia. Thrace, west coast
OF Asia Minor. the whole 4;gean Archi-
pelaeo, In Epirus. the southern part Of
Serbia and south Albania.
While both the King and his Premier
a. the outbreak OF war were unanimous
on the desirability OF this goal. their re-
spective opinions rs to the various ways
"f its fulflment formed the sharpest
possible contrast. Venizelos was Just as
n.nly convinced of the victory Of the
Allies az was the King OF that OF the
central Powers. and he was a strong
champion Of the maintenance Of the
treaty with Serbia. which had to be COM
pl"tely abandoned II the Kings ideas
should be crowned with success.
Consequently the ovSrthrow OF Veni-
xcIos was necessary. and II was also
essential for the King to he surrounded
by a Ministry which would adopt his
personal policy,
~ king Constantine had had a rea
sonable understanding OF his own iimi-
tations II In hardly conceivable that
Is would have placed himself In com
maid OF the ship Of state during the
dangerous voya.'e which has now ended
In hs0less wreckage. The straight.
clear course would rave agreed better
with his own nature ami capacities,
Hiiy u muci experienced. clear headed.
and cunning a%olitical jcagler could
have mastered that double ..ame which
formed the fundamental idea of the