New Britain herald., 1916-04-19
YEN|zEL0S DEFIES
 KING OF GREECE
Challenges Doctrine of Divine
 Right Of Kings

London, April 19.-Following the ] breaking up by agents of the Greek ! Government, as the Liberals allege, , of the meeting in Athens on Sunday ] of Venizelos adherents, the former Premier, who heretofore has been care l ful to base his antagonism on ques- l tions of policy, has come out openly ] in opposition to King Constantine per 1 sonally.
 A dispatch from Athens contains the following interview given by M. Venizelos on Monday to the repre- sentative in the Greek capital of The Associated Press, with the object of getting his explanation of the present critical situation before the people of the United States:
 "I beg you to bring the events of yesterday and the earnest protest of a majority of Greeks to the knowledge of the American people who have struggled for so long to establish free speech as the fundamental right of free peoples.
 Here in Greece We are confronted by the question whether we are to have a dem ocracy presided over by a King or whether at this hour in our history We must accept the doctrine of the divine right of Kings.
 "The present Government repre- sents in no sense the majority of the Hellenic people. We Liberals twice in the course of a year received the vote of the majority. At the last elec- ton, which was nothing more than a burlesque of the free exercise of the right of suffrage, we were not willing to participate in farcical for mality where, owing to the mobiliza- ton, it would have been possible, as indeed it was the Governments inten- ton, to keep the Liberal voters with the colors and not allow them to cast their ballots, while their opponents would be given every facility to crush the Liberal Party by a vote which could not have represented more than a small minority of the Greek people.
 I've refused to take part in this sinister comedy. The present Gov ernment of Greece is, therefore, mo- wise representative, and we Liberals have left Us only our right of free speech and free assemblage, guaran- teed by the Constitution, as the sole means of taking counsel among our selves; of trying to enlighten the opinion of the country, and, perhaps,
 
 will of the majority upon a Govern ment not representing the majority.
 Now it is even sought to deny us this. The meetings organized by the Liberal Party were not even those free and open ones to which we have every right. Our meetings were held in inclosed building. Those who came 10 them were invited, but the police threw out our doorkeepers, put in their own and let enter whomsoever they, the police, wanted to be present at our meetings.
 "It is a denial of every constitu- tional liberty. You yourself have wit messed with what patience we Liberals "a majority of the Greek people have submitted for months to a Gov ernment which is in nowise constitu- tional
 "The moment has come when the position of the highest functionary, which every King of the Hellenes ought to occupy, must so strictly be defined that it will forever be impos- sible to raise again the question of the divine right of Kings in Greece; it will forever be impossible for any Government hiding behind the per son of the sovereign to arrogate to it. self rights which reside only in the whole Hellenic people.
 Understand me. I am not talking in any sense of the possibility of republic in Greece. I insist only on our rights our constitutional rights, our rights as free people which our selves we have gained by the force of arms, and which we have no inten- tion to abandon.
 It is announced, according to an other Athens dispatch, that Liberal meetings will be resumed after Easter the Liberal Party meanwhile taking action against the police authorities for allowing, as they charge, the pres ence at their meetings of agents whose object was to provoke riotous events.