Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-14
QUEEN OF GREECE
GAINS LOVE OF
HER SUBJECTS
Blockade of Country's Ports
Gives Her Opportunity to
Do Much Work
BY .fsseeiatcd Press

Athens, Greece, March IL. - The
blockade of the ports of Greece by the
allied powers has furnished Queen So
phie her opportunity to endear her
self to the Greek people She was al
ready the head of all the more impor-
tAnt charities of Athens, but her work
mas always been very quiet and gen.
orally very little known or appreciated.
During the twenty-eight years that she
has been first Crown Princess of
Greece and then Queen of the Hell
lenes, she has been rather a negative
figure.
On the declaration of the blockade.
however, she took up the active or
SANITATION of the relief work among
the blockade sufferers. To do this
sne mad ut command the committees
OF an the numerous charities she has
est3ollshed in the Greek capitaI as
Wen as the central committee of the
National League of Reservists, the mu-
lual oenent organization of the Veter-
ans of the two late Balkan wars.
The committee of the Reservists'
League set about collecting subscrip-
lions under the patronage of the
queen, tapping every well-to-do Ath-
enlan family and even approaching the
neutral diplomats for funds to as
slst the blockade sufferers. The dis
trihution of the funds so collected is
being conducted by the hospital COM
mlttee to the sick and by the commit
tee to the sick and by the committee
for the assistance of working women
TO the needy. Queen Sophie herself
personally follows and directs all the
work and makes large contributions to
II from her private purse.
Queen Little Known
outside her little known charities,
the halser's sister has never before
occupied much of a place in the
hearts of the Greek people. The King,
as personal commander in chief of the
army, the victor in two successful wars
andaa man of great personal magnet
ism, has completely overshadowed his
royal conSort. While in every shop.
Gale and office in Greece there hangs
portrait of King Constantine, por-
traits of Queen Sophie have hitherto
peen rare. 1t has only been since her
active work in behalf of the blockade
sufferers that there have appeared
seherally in the Athens shops calen-
oars with the Queens picture on them
as Wei as the familiar ones bearing
the Kings picture.
Nor does the Kaisers sister take q
very active part in the social life of
Athens The King and Queen dine
once a week regularly with the Kings
prother Prince Nicholas, and his wife.
the Princess Helen. After dinner there
y
matte corps and the best Athenian So
clety are gathered. The King remains
an evening, even in the busiest times:
put the queen rarely stops after din
ner or takes any part in the gaities.
She receives no one, save where Off
CiaI euquet renders an audience i'm
peratlve. Her last formal audience
was given to the German minister and
his staff, just before their leaving
Greece on November %, last. When
they had departed she wept as the
German diplomatic mission in Athens
constituted the sole remaining link
connecting her with her brother, EN-
peror William of Germany.
Royal Family CIannish
The royal family of Greece is very
Clannlsh, and there are frequent fam
lIy reunions at the houses of the Kings
numerous brothers. Queen Sophie
seldom attends there. Her pet char
ity is her shop in which the home work
or Greek women is sold. But her sis
ter-in-law, the Princess Alice of Bat
tenberg, the wife of the Kings broth
er, Prince Andrew, runs a shop of the
same character, in competition with
the queens Just across Constitution
square from Queen Sophie's
IN the Princess Alice shop all the
models are American-for hats, fine
women's underclothing, dresses and
other feminine nick-nacks The Am
erlean fashion papers set all the
Princess Alice styles, and it is a source
OF great pride to her that every ar
ucle sold in her shop that is not a re-
production of characteristic Greek
costumes or peasant women's embroid-
les Is made after American designs.