Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-13
CURSE VENIZELOS,
GREEK TOWNS PRAY
Former Prime Minister is OBJ
ject Of "Anathema," q Me-
dieval Religious Custom.
HE WANTED TO BE KING"

Correspondence of The Associated Press)
Calamata, Greece, Feb. 15.-The
medieval ceremony of "Anathema"
against Elcphtherios Venizelos, for
mer prime minister Of Greece, is still
continuing in the lesser towns of old
Greece. Every Sunday in villages
scattered here and there over the
country, where the ceremony has not
yet taken place, the people come to-
gether, generally under the leadership
OF the local priest, and go through
the age-old, semi-religious act of call
ing down divine wrath upon "Eleph-
therios Venizelos, who has impris-
oned priests and who has plotted
against the royal house and against
the country" as the wording OF the
anathema runs.
The anathema ceremony is by no
means an unusual one in Greece to-
day, especially in the outer islands
and in the rural districts. 1t is so
usual, indeed, that the word ANA
thema' appears in the current Creek
English conversation books, under the
heading of common religious terms"
Nor is it the first time that Venizelos
has been mathematical. According
to General Vases, who worked stimuli
taneously with Venizelos for the
freedom of Crete, the ceremony was
pronounced against Venizelos by the
Cretans some twenty years ago.
On the present occasion the cere-
monies have been more widespread.
Few villages now remain in old
Greece where the anathema against
the Cretan has not been pronounced,
with all the forms of the days when
Alcibiades, having deserted the Ath-
enians for their Spartan enemies some
centuries ago, was
stoned to death in spirit after his de-
parture. In each instance the clergy
of the Greek church have not only
sanctioned, but taken active part in
the ceremonies.
First in Athens.
The first of this series of anathemas
against Venizelos was pronounced in
Athens. The spot set for the cere-
mony was the immense military. ex-
ercise field of the garrisons of Athens.
The government formally forbade the
ceremony the day before, fearing dis
turbances, and it was thought that
the ceremony would be abandoned.
At daybreak, however, peasants from
their African and Boeotian farms be-
gan to flock into town, each carrying
a stone from his own soil tucked away
among the accordion pleats of the
white skirts that the Greek peasants
wear upon occasions of ceremony.
Many brought their wives and chill
dren, the women all carrying their
own stones and frequently the chill
dren also.
By noon the streets of the capital
witnessed an unending procession of
peasants and poorer folk bound in
the direction Of the Kypselis quarter
where the exercise field is located. On
the Patissia road, which leads to the
field, q house was in process of con-
struction and piles OF stones were
heaped in the yard to be used in
As the people passed, those
who had forgotten to bring stones
took each one from this pile. In a
quarter OF an hour but one was left
The building contractor who had
been trying in vain to protect his
property shrugged his shoulders,
hoisted the remaining rock onto his
back and joined the march, to pro-
nounce an anathema of his own
partly against Venizelos, but prob
ably partly also against those who
had stripped his yard.
Archbishop Is There.
Immediately following luncheon
the weather. Athenians began to ap-
pear in carriages. On the seat of
each smart turnout was small stone
and each coachman had one for him
self hidden between his feet. Women
OF the best Greek society clutched in
white-gloved hands vanity box-and
q rock. The archbishop of Athens in
full canonicals drove in carriage,
which was followed by a procession
OF other carriages bearing the mem
bers Of the Holy Synod Of the Greek
church. AS the prelates passed
through the crowd, the men un-
W aiAu aii DOWSu tlCI ueduS 10
receive the blessings OF the priests,
In one carriage the venerable bishops
OF Corytsa and Larissa sat together.
gentle old men with whitening boards,
who raised their hands constantly in
a sign OF the cross, above the people
crowding against the wheels of the
vehicle.
Finally the carriages could 90 no
farther; the crowd was too dense.
The aged priests dismounted, the peo-
pie pushing back to make path for
them. As each prelate stepped from
his carriage, the hand that had been
distributing blessings fumbled under
the flowing black gown and drew
from its folds stone to cast upon
the pile being erected to the anger
OF the Greeks against their former
favorite, Venizelos.
Distressing Cough Cured.
Dr. Kings New Discovery not only stops