Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-17
BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

IN IsTRAcTED Greece reappeared on
" the screen Of the world war with
~ startling swiftness. For more
~ than . year the country has ap-
peared. only to disappear.
Sometimes II received attention through
the controversies Of the Greeks in the
United States as to whether King Con-
stantine or former Premier venizelos was
the true Grecian patriot. Sometimes it was
through the lifting OF the curtain on the
military operations in the near east. And
occasionally there was projected. al
though obscuTely. confusing view Of the
Greek people themselves.
Greece has not had an easy time OF it
since the great war began. yet her lot
has been happy one as compared with
what Serbia and Belgium have suffered,
and comfortable one in the light Of what
Rumania has had to endure. She will
suffer less in the physical sense now that
the entente allies have exiled King Con-
stantine and the Crown Prince George.
and set up Prince Alexander as nominal
king.
In the circumstance there can be no real
King. The allies. from military necessity.
have taken over the Greek government
and will ruin 1t. This action is the sequel
to their occupation of Saloniki in Mace
donia as military base. and of Corfu. in
the Ionlan Islands. as a naval base.
The necessity Of saving the wheat crop
of Thessaly is given as one reason for
the allies taking control Of Greece There
was a question whether King Constantine
would get this crop. or whether the pro pro,
obtain it, King Constantine's government
wanted the wheat badly as means OF re-
pressing popular discomfort Fenizeios
wanted 1t equally badly SO az 10 maintain
his troops and the allies above all things
want to see that 1t is not wasted
1t was stated in the dispatches Few
weeks ago that there was urgent need
of food on the Greek mainland and in
the Ionian and Aegean Islands, as
everywhere else in Europe. but the en-
tente powers assumed no responsibility
were they particularly concerned with
the effect OF their military measures in
preventing the Greek government from
sions they blockaded the Greek ports in
order TO bring King Constantine to
terms. but they never carried the block
ade 10 the point of entirely shutting off
food They merely left the Greeks TO
shift for themselves
In normal circumstances Greece has
the wheat of Russia and Rumania to
draw on, but the supply Of Russia is
entirely cut off. and ii is not likely that
Germany would permit any of the Ru-
manian wheat crop to be diverted to
Athens. That wheat is wanted too bad
" for the German troops in Rumania
Greece wanted wheat from the United
States. but she was not included in the
arrangement under which this country
sought to assure the entente countries
a certain quantity of grain and other
foodstuffs. The object of this policy on
the part of the United States was to
nullify the German submarine cam
paign. which has for its purpose starry
ing England and France into peace
terms
So far as the United States was con-
cerned. Greece was in position SINH
lar to the neutral Scandinavian coun-
tries. Her geographical situation did
not render her an easy base of supplies
Tor reshipment of food products to the
central powers. but internationally con-
sidered this country had no obligation
10 see that she got food.
Since the allies have now taken over
the government at Athens and have be-
come responsible for the population
there. IL may be that some Of the grain
which this country is supplying them
will be diverted TO Greece. but there
are not likely to he large quantities
shipped through the Mediterranean.
The American public is not apt to be
critical Of the course taken by the al
lies. for it knows that Greece is in no
danger of the fate of Serbia and Bel
GUM at the hands of Germany. Ii has
been puzzled regarding the real attitude
of the Greek people. The prevailing be
lief has been that King Constantiue's
government was pro-CierinaH, although
students of the diplomatic aud military
background OF the great war recceriize
that, beginning with the Dardanellc:,
campaign, the Gllies committed AN UNI
SURPASSED series OF military and diplo-
matte plumbers. The American people,
nevertheless. never accepted King Con-
stantiEe's repeated assertions that his
government had maint0incd the benevo-
Len neutrality amounting 10 actual Par
tialitv for the allies. The evidences of
pro-German influence were too pro-