Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-03
Venizelos' Doubts.

!
last as long as the entente supported
| it.
! Venizelos' Doubts.
! will Greece become republic after
the war;" l asked. ''Or will another
king be placed on the throne if this
| king. is turned out?"
II do not believe the Greek people
have yet reached the point of self
government" was NJ. Venizelos' reply.
They must for a while be governed
, from above. In this l quite agree with
the King. However. he believes in a
strongly centralized monarchy, where
as think there should be a hereditary
democracy. The presidency should be
hereditary. Greece should have dem
ocratic form of government, but with
a permanent head"
The significance of this is that all
agree that there are but two person.
alities in Greece. One is Venizelos and
the other is the king. If the king is
turned out NenizeloS will undoubtedly
be turned in, for he may at least be
the allied powers. There is no other
man in the Nenizelos party whose name
one ever hears. There is no other pos
sible. candidate for presidency or king
ship. A little while ago, when Venl-
zeios was at the height of his power. he
said one day to a friend:
Il am sure that if Greece were to
become republic l should be its first
president. But in three years the
Greeks would be dragging my body
through the Streets
To those who find an Inconsistency
in these statements the reply is made by
those who know Venizelos best that he
is ain absolutely unSelfish man: He has
never sought power for powers sake.
He has always worked for the best
interests of his country and has been
magnanimouS almost to fault. Per
haps because of this the men who were
secondary leaders of his party few
years ago have almost to man de-
serted him. Greece is not yet educated
up to a rarified' standard of politics.
The man who helps put another man in
office wants that service recognized.
Why do you oppose the king"
asked What have been the tangible
results of his policy to which you OBJ
leCt?"
What He Thinks of King.
''I do not believe the king is a Ger
manophile in the sense in which that
term is ordinarily used said he. He
has believed Germany would win. and
therefore was chary of opposing her
However l am certain that he does
not like the Germans. He has wanted
strong government from above. He
wants to form his monarchy on the
German plan, and there is certain
vagueneSs in the Greek constitution
which might be construed to permit US
either a democracy or an absolute
He believed. and he was
probably right. that his wishes could be
more easily carried into effect if Ger
many won the war.
Therefore he has acted as he has.
He has been determined that no act of
his should place straw in Germany
way. The consequence has been that
Greece has suffered as though she had
lost a war. although she has not fought.
Her troops have been modified for ten
months, with the consequent suffering
both to the men in the field and those
they left at home. In both the previous
Balkan wars the Greeks We're only mo-
bi;ized a total of thirteen months.
The Greek army at the beginning of
4h's period of mobilization had the
horare of an army that had been vic
torious. Today. after ten months of in
glorious idleness. it's morale has gone.
1t is the same as beaten army. 1t has
used up all its munitions. food, clothes
and hospital supplies. If it entered the
war now instead of going in proud, con-
fiiert well clothed and well armed it
would 50 in discouraged. half starved
and half clothed.
Enumeration of Losses.
I'm this war in which it has not
fought Greece has lost territory. prison
ers of war. cannons which have been
taken by the Bulgays and finally has
paid the equivalent of war indemnity
to them. There were millions of francs
worth of war property which the Bull
cars have taken. There were 10000. 900
rrancs worth of tobacco in Cavalla alone.
The total loss in property will assuredly
be not less than 200, 1000. 900 francs. The
people are disheartened and sorrowing.
The loss of civilian morale has been no
less great and no less significant than
th"t Of the army.
and suppose that Greece does not en-
ter the war even at this late day"
. "If the Germanic powers win we shall
have lost the Macedonian provinces to
a certainty Bulgaria has them now
without being forced to fight for them