Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-13

y-Tremter communicated to the commits
.sSioner OF the allied powers the King
,s&nswer in the following letter:
az The minister and high commissions
sdt France, Great Britain and Russi:
Having demanded by your note OF yes
ftcrday tho abdication OF His Majesty
!KinE Constantine. and the nomination
of his successor. the undersigned. Pre-.
.Sn,ier and Foreign Minister. has the
,-honor to inform Your ENcellency that
Hills Majesty. tho King. solicitous for
..r,e interest OF Greece, has decided &c
..kave the country with the prince
,rroyal and dominates Prince Alexander
.ss his successor.
80 (Signed) "ZAIMlS."
-, Prior to the announcement OF the
Kings decision. many Greeks. loyal 70
The crown. gathered ivr the protection
500 the sovereign. On Monday nigh:
1000 reservists formed Gordon around
the palace for his defense, If tina;
should be necessary. and a delegation
,sheadcd by Naval Commander Mavro-
.micha ellis. was received by Constantine
sand pledged the devotion Of the army
and the people TO his cause. The King :
g1only reply was an appeal that they
Should remain calm.
ts, The reign OF Constantine I. as King
Sbf the Hellencs was brief, dating only
from March is. 1918. when his father.
George l.. asSaSSinatcd in Saloniki.
!. Brief as the reign was. Constantine
mad enjoyed. prior to the beginning Of
the great war. in 1914. period OF re-
markable popularity. and had increased
the territory OF the Greek monarchy by
I. over so per cent. His attitude of OPP
position toward the entente powers
: when their troops occupied part of
Greek territory in the Macedonian cam
5 paign against the Teutonic allies, how
ever. brought him into conflict with
. the statesmen OF Greece, and resulted
. in the establishment OF provisional
government. headed by Eliphtherios
Nenizelos. whom the King had driven
from the post OF Premier.
Throughout long series OF negotia-
tions and conflict with the entente COM
manders Constantine was often accused
of being pro German In sympathies.
largely. II was charged. as a result Of
the influence of Queen Sophia. sister
of the German Emperor. whom he mar
ried in 1885,? Constantine declared
! throughout that he desired only to
! smantain neutrality. and that he was
tectuatcd. not by pro-German SYM
,pathies. but by considerations OF the
! welfare OF the Greeks.
/, Born on August 3. 1865. Constantine
/, was educated largely by private tutors
!. from Leipsc. which was said to have
! stamped upon him permanent Ger
. man influence. His military education
: was furthered by attendance at ma
/ neuvcrs in Germany.
. HOW HE BECAME
IDOL OF HIS PEOPLE
One interesting chapter OF Constan-
tines life is the way in which he be-
came the peoples idol. After having
been dismissed as commander of the
. Greek army in 1909 because of popular
. clamor. Constantine. then crown prince.
, decided TO accept a command in the
. Russian army. but the opposition to
: him at home lost its rancor. and he
. was restored to his former dignities.
He finally became national hero in
. the Balkan War of 1912. when he led
P. an army OF 10000 Greeks to tho capture
= "f s'aloniki. causing $4,000 Turks TO
Ivy down their arms. His popularity
was such as result OF this feat. that
Greeks in America raised several thou
sand dollars with which to purchase
Gift sword. inscribed: To Constantine,
the Liberator."
~hen Constantine came to the
.sn"throne ii was said he aimed TO re-
t, store the former grandeur of tho an
cicnt Hellenic empire. and that he
: was believer in the old national
: prophecy that under the reign of Il
= Constantine and a Sophia the Eastern
= empire would be called into life again
: and the cross restored on ST. Sophia
at Constantinople in place OF the
: crescent.
:. BY the peace treaties signed after
!. the Balkan wars. Greece added a con-