The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-16
CHARITY ENDEARS QUEEN SOPHIA TO
 GRECIAN PEOPLE
Works Quietly, But Accom- plishes Much Good For
 Suffering Subjects.

Athens. Greece, March 10. - The blockade of the ports of Greece by the Allied Powers has furnished Queen Sophie her opportunity to endear her. self to the Greek people. She has
 already the head of all the more inn portant charities of Athens, but her work has always been very quiet and generally very little known or appre-
 ciated. During the twenty eight years that she has been first Grown Princess of Greece and then Queen of the Hellenes, she has been rather a negative, figure. M.
 On the declaration of the blockade, however, she took up the active or ganization of the relief work among the blockade sufferers. To do this she had at command the committees
 of all the numerous charities she has
 established in the Greek capital as we'll as the central committee of the National League of Reservists, the mu- tual benefit organization of the vet erans of the two late Balkan wars.
 The committee of the Reservists League set about collecting subscrip- tions under the patronage of the queen tappj' every swell-to-do Athenian famil = q even approaching the neu- tral diplomatists for funds to assist the blockade sufferers. The distri- button of the funds so collected is be- ing conducted by the hospital com nittee to the sick and by the com mittee to the sick and by the commit tee for the assistance of working wo- men to the needy. Queen Sophie herself personally follows and directs all the work and makes large contri- buttons to it from her private purse.
 Outside her little known charities, the Kaiser'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 i1 two success fui wars and man of great personal magnetism has completely overshad- owed his royal consort. While in every shop, cafe and office in Greece there hangs a portrait of King Con- stantine, portraits of Queen Sophie have hitherto been rare. It has on- ly been since her active work in be- half of the blockade sufferers that there have appeared generally in the Athens shops calendars with the queen's picture on them, as we'll as the familiar ones bearing the kings picture.
 No does the Kaiser's sister take a very active part in the social life of Athens. The king and queen dine once a week regularly with the kings brother Prince Nicholas, land his wife the Princess Helen. After dinner there is usually party at Which the diplomatic corps and the best Athen-
 ian society are gathered. The king remains all evening. in the busiest
 times; but the queen rarely stops af- ter dinner or takes any part in the gaities. She receives no one, save
 where official etiquette renders an au- dience imperative. Her last formal
 audience was given to the German
 minister and his staff. just before their leaving Greece on November 22, last When they had departed she wept as the German diplomatic mission in Athens constituted the sole,
 remaining link connecting her with l her brother, Emperor William of Ger many.
 The royal family of Greece is very clannish, and there are frequent fam l fly reunions at the houses of the kings numerous brothers. Queen Sophie seldom attends these. Her pet charity is her shop in which the home work of Greek women is sold But her sister-in-law, the Princess Alice of Battenberg, the wife or the ! kings brother Prince Andrew, runs l a shop of the same character, in lcompetition with the queens just across Constitution square from Queen Sophie's.
 |. Tp T,.;~ cho oJ models are American-for hats, fine yomen's underclothing,. dresses and other feminine nicknacks The Amer can fashion papers set all the Prin-
 ess Alices stytles,l and it is source
 great pride to her that every ar
 'n sold in her shop that is not