The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-06-13
.CONSTANI II | CAREER
STORMY BUT VERY brief
Continued flom page !.
the Dardanelles would dangerously
weaken Greece's defense on the Bull
garian frontier. 49,
Queen Sophia was regarded as bit
terly opposed to Greece joining the
war on the Entente side and it was
reported that she had threatened to
leave Greece if that event TRANSFERRED.
Attitude Toward Serbia.

Much criticism was directed against
Constantine because of the complaint
that he failed to fulfill the terms Of
the treaty between Greece and Serbia
under which Greece was committed
to ally herself with Serbia If that
country were attacked by another
:, power. When Austria invaded Serbia
4 Constantine asserted that the treaty
applied only to an attack by another
Balkan nation. -. d 5s.e 90 s.sz-,
Another act which aroused storm
of criticism was the yielding by
Greek troops to Bulgarian invaders
of several Greek forts and the sur
render, of large number of Greek
soldiers to the Tuetonic forces which
were invading Macedonia. !:
The occupation by the troops of the
Entente powers Of. a. part of Mace
donia and the seizure of Saloniki as
their base involved King Constantine
in long series of clashes with the
Entente commanders during which he
was accused of evasion and attempt
ing to gain time in the hope that
Germany would assemble on the
Macedonian front sufficient troops to
overwhelm the Entente forces. 1t
was charged that the king and his
government laid trap for the Eli
tente troops which occupied part
of Athens, to enforce demand for
surrender of ten batteries of Greek
artillery, to compensate for the sur.
render ofGreek guns to-. the Teutonic
allies. Greek reservists fired upon
the French and British forces, but
the king was reported to have order
ed the firing. stopped after about 200
casualties. Six batteries Ct noun
tain guns We're given up to the Allies
and the king reached temporary
understanding withthe Entente com.
mander. --&5 45stg
Growing in Strength.
Meantime the provisional govern
fment, headed by Venizelos, had been
growing in strength and had obtain
ed the recognition of the Entente
powers. The provisional army Occu-
pied Katerina, near Saloniki, and
Venizelos continued his agitation
against Constantine, declaring the
king a victim of bad counsel,
had led the Greek people to the bank
of a precipice by an alliance with
their hereditary enemies and by vio-
lation of the constitution in dissolv-
ing the Greek parliament, and brought
the contempt of the world upon
Greece. t
In order to enforce their demands
the Entente powers laid an embargo
upon the supplies for Greece, which
famed the flame of discomfort. Con-
stantine was denounced by people of
Crete and Lemnos, who accused him
Of treachery and demanded his de-
thrOnement.
Constantine, however. asserted that
England and France had reused the
resentment of the Greeks and alien
ated their sympathy by interfering in
Greek politics. He protested against
the Entente occupation of Greek ter
ritory, asserted that his endeavors
were to maintain Greek neutrality,
and predicted that, if the country
went to war against Germany 1t would
share the fate OF Rumania
A crisis in Constantine's fate arose
in the latter part of April, 1917, when
it was announced tina the had served
an ultimatum on the Entente powers,
demanding a guarantee against |
French invasion and that he be, per-
mitted to retain his throne He Of
Tered, if this was done to form cabi-
net agreeable to the Entente His at
titude was regarded as threatening |
war upon the Entente forces, unless
his demands were granted.