Evening star., 1917-09-24
KING ALEXANDER TAKES
OATH IN BRILLIANT Scene
Event at Athens Is Notable in Many
Respects-Democracy Re-
places Royalty.
Correspondence of til. Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press
ATHENS. August 5.-King Alexander
was the center Of a brilliant scene as
he made his first appearance before
parliament today. took the oath to rule
as a constitutional monarch and de-
livered his first speech from the throne.
He looked boyish king for he is just
twenty four and the youngest king in
Europe. But he is tall, stalwart and
good-looking. and, in his uniform of
an officer of the guards. with the
medals and ribbons Of royalty. he had
all the bearing and dignity of a mon
arch.
The event was. notable in many re-
spects. Neither this young man nor
any one else ever supposed he would
ever be king until a few weeks ago.
He is a sort of war king, a product
of the great European war. His
brother had been trained to be king
and had received a course in high poli-
tics. But when the entente allies gave
King Constantine an ultimatum to abb
dicate they required also that the
crown prince, who had been trained
for kingship, should also leave. And
so this younger son. unframed in state
craft, was suddenly compelled to take
up crown and become a monarch.
He had expected to follow the career
| of soldier. and had been to school
in England and at the Royal Military
School at Potsdam.
| The event was chiefly notable, how
ever. in being sort of transition from
royalty to democracy-another result
! of the European war. While this young
| man was king, yet the oath he was
| Just taking was to rule as a conStitu-
tional monarch, and his appearance in
parliament here today, with the prime
| minister and ministers about him, was
! formal recognition of the principle
! for which this ministry and the entente
| allies had contended-that a RESPONSE
Bile ministry directs the affairs of the
country. and not the king.
| The recognition of this principle was
very prominent in the ceremony of to-
| day. 1t was less royal function and
| more a gathering of democracy Be
| fore the king were the elected repre-
sentatives of the people. all about him
We're the ministers. and there were COM
| paratively few court attendants, The
\ speech from the throne had been pre-
pared by the ministers. and when the
| moment arrived for its delivery the
| prime minister. Nenizelos. took it from
| his pocket and passed it to the king
| for delivery.
The pronouncement of the king. thus
| framed by the ministry, carefully
avoided any offensive reference to the
dethronement of King Constantine. for
! this was delicate family matter which
| Woulu lnEOlVe cr1tlclSm by son OF the
acts of his father. But it openly re-
versed the policy of the former king
in strongly approving the course of
| the entente, whom the king now re-
| ferred to as friends and allies battling
for the defense of humanity. as against
the rapacity of the central powers.
! AS a spectacle, also. today's event
| had its interest. The ministry had
sought to give full scope to every
| royal prerogative. for they wish the
new king to be real representative
before the people of constitutional
monarchy. The splendid coaches OF
the royal establishment. with powdered
grooms and footmen. and heralds and
outriders in brilliant uniforms, made an
| old-world picture of royal pageantry
| as the king moved between dense
cheering masses, with solid lines OF
soldiers stretching from the palace to
the parliamentary chamber. The marble
coionnade of the chamber was gar
! landed with wreaths and flowers, and
a great floral crown above the doorway
indicated that even in this abode OF
| democracy there was still welcome
! for what remained of royalty.