Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-28
HOW GREECE DEPENDS
ON GOODS FROM j. S.
of the Associated Press.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
PIRAECS, Greece, May 2.-An hour
or SO at a table in front of a cafe on
the water front of Piraeus. the port of
Athens. is an object lesson in what
the United States has become to
Greece since the outbreak Of the Euro
pean war. Once the wheat Of Greece
came from Russia and Rumania by
way of the Dardanelles. Now two
huge cargo boats moored to the sea
wall are discharging American grain
into the holds of flock of waiting
barges in half dozen yellow streams.
But the boats themselves are Greek.
not American. and on their sides is
painted the Greek flag, the name of
the boat in Roman letters and the
single word Greece.
On the quays. spread out in the hot
spring sun. are hundreds of noisome-
looking black sacks bearing the i'm
print of a New York firm and the label
formulated sugar" Once the sugar of
Greece came from Trieste; now it Jour-
Four Greek merchants are tasting the
contents Of one of the opened sacks.
The owner stands by. bill of lading In
hand. The four retire to a distance
to discuss terms. They. all talk at
stoned gestures. no one paying the
least attention to what the others are
saying. When one dissents, he does
not shake his head. but lifts it ssharp-
ly upwards. clicking his tongue i'm
long time. but finally the bargain is
struck. and the four purchasers and
the consignee of the sugar. their days
work done, retire to a neighboring
cafe to talk politics over Turkish
coffee.
Automobile From Detroit.
Close in the shadow of the wheat
ships a dozen or so men are unpacking
crate A score of idlers look on.
deeply absorbed. as little by little an
automobile Is revealed. The machine
comes from Detroit. not from France.
as would have been the case before the
war.
Across the harbor a huge, white pas
senRer vessel is moored-the largest
passenger vessel in active service for
the transatlantic trip these war
times. 1t is the King Constantine of
the National Greek Line. plying be-
tween Piraeus and New York, making
me III iuI lhiBht- oAe, wv hioc
the Greek. not the American, flag.
Along the sidewalk opposite the
quays are more reminders of the clos
ening touch between Greece and the
United States. Every few steps, in
front Of the wretched shops. are sta
toned the glass show cases of the
money changers. filed with their mot
ley collection Of strange moneys: Bull
garian, Rumanian, Turkish, Egyptian,
Russian and Serbian-the gold and sill
yer in bowls. the paper hung on strings
like washing on line. against the
corner Is always a roll of American
Ereenbacks-to Americans here home
like and familiar in company with so
much oriental coinage
Spiro will be buying such a roll soon.
Spiro is petty officer who belongs to
the Kilkis, which used to be the Amer
lean battleship Idaho. Spiro does not
live in Greece. He is from Saratoga,
N. z. and when his service is over in a
month or two ho 10 going back to his
candy shop in Saratoga as fast as the
Plans Return to United States.
The waiter at the one even halfway
passable restaurant Of Piraeus is from
the United States. too. He also is do
ing his military service. though on
leave for the present-like most of the
Greek army. So, with loathing in his
heart. he works in q restaurant with
saWdust- covered floor and row of
barre's a'or2 :hs val T'lsJ r'fth sweet
-H'" "' " e go ~ ''tHr