The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-24
SHOULD GREEKS co
TOWAR COULD
ALLIES SOME THINGS
VALUABLE MILITARY MATERIAL
OF A VERY SPECIAL TYPE
WOULD BE FURNISHED FROM
THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION.

ARE mOGIN A hANOO0 AsA1GAO@N'
BY Ass0u ATED PRESS.
SaloniLi, Greece, Jan. 23.-Should
the Greeks determine to enter the
European war they will be in. a po-
sition to furnish their allies with some
valuable military material of very
special kind, used to the rough work
of fighting in the Macedonian noun
tains, and thoroughly familiar with
the broken, trackless country of the
interior. Just now Salonihi is full of
these "evzones," as they are called
in their short, once white skirts, their
long, once white tights, their upturned
"shonshi," or heelless slippers with
black pompons at the turned-up toes.
But the "evzones" in Salonik are
very different from the magnificent,
red-capped, blue-skirted, betassled
"evzones" that parade the streets of
Athens. The latter are the royal
guards, Of the first "evzone" regi-
ment, of which Queen Sophie is the
Colonel. The "evzones" that are so
common in Salonild are for business
purposes only. They are fighters,
not paraders.
They look anything but soldierly,
squatting sidewise on the rough wood
en- saddles of their mountain mules,
their balance precariously kept by
having one foot thrust in rope
stretched from the cross of the sad
die, and, nna. very long-barrelled
sharp-shod hanging across
each hum back. They are
little men In IKE most Greek sold
iers look lastonishingly puny beside
the deep-chested French troopers.
But they undoubtedly do get over the
ground-the difficult ground Of the
Balkan mountains with amazing
speed. And they are besides pop
ularly supposed to be ignorant of
what fear is.
Are a Silent Lot.
Certainly they are silent lot, with
whom war seems a trade rather than
temporary service of their country.
If they frequent cafes-and it is diff
ficult to conceive a Greek, soldier or
civilian, who does not pass the major
part of his waking hours in cafe
it must be some obscure, ill-lighted,
evil-smelling Dram shop hidden away
in the JEWISH quarter of old Salonilxi,
or perhaps it may be the rare noun
tain inns buried in the hollows Of the
Macedonian backwoods that harbor
him in his hours of ease. For GER
tainly in the more frequented streets
of Salonii or along the crowded
quais, the ''evzones" seem always on
the move, conveying long trains of
pack-mules mountain bound, driving
supply carts or marching along in
single file, habit learned from fol-
lowing scarcely marked trails among
the rocks.
The "fustanella," or ACCORDION
pleated skirt of summer has been
covered over for winter service by a
long, yellow-green coat fitting close
at the waist and spreading out like
a skirt somewhat after the manner
of the Cossack's-coat. The "fus-
tanellap proper is underneath this,
and does not appear. The skirt of
the "evzone" is one of the oldest of
the military relics of Greece. Bias
reliefs of the soldier who fought at
Marathon show that he too wore a
similar costume. In the time of Louis
XIV of France there was like uni
form in use in the French army,
where the skirt was called a "rhin-
grave"
For the most part the "evzones" of
modern Greece are the less pictures
que as they are anything but smart
in appearance. But the uniform can
lend itself to many legitimate en-
bellishments, should the wearer de-
sire. The sort of pointed night-cap
which is the customary head-dress
may be ornamented with a tassel--
not directly attached to the peak of
the cap. The tassel is then brought
over the left shoulder of the wearer
where it hangs conspicuously on his
breast.
The garters, too, may be luxurious.
They hold nothing up, so far as one
can see, acting rather as scabbards
for daggers. For the close-fitting
cotton drawers seem to extend from
the waist to a strap passed under the
foot. But the garter, worn below the
knee. consists first of an embroidered
circlet, from which hangs, loose, a
cord in the form of an arc, each and
fastened to the garter proper at a
point from which a tassel also hangs.
The Greeks are very proud of their
"evzones'' for whom they claim
prodigies of valor. But there is moth
ing tangible to show that this reputa-
ton is not based rather upon legend
and a distinctive costume than upon
fact and proved achievement.