The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-23
Greater Greece"

Greece, whose classic ideals still
constitute one Of the most potent
forces Of world culture. is about to
emerge to a more influential place
among modern nations as the result
OF peace adjust merts" says a bulletin
from the National Geographical So
ctety.
The bulletin. quoting from a com
munkatton OF George Higgins Moses.
describes contemporary Greece as fol-
lows
The established religion OF the
land Is, of course. Orthodox Greek.
The clergy headed by the Metropoli-
tan of Cetinje. are splendid lot of
men. in physique and character. The
Catholics, numbering some $4,000
have their own archbishop at Anti
vari, and the few Mohammedians
possesses a Grand Mufti.
I'm many ways Greek life remains
unchanged from It's classic aspects.
Modern Athens. before the war. was
a brilliant capital we'll worth its title,
/ The Paris of the Levant' Less than
a century ago it passed finally from
the Turkish possession. and it was
! then small collection of mere how
els huddled beneath the Acropo!is
In l914 1t was a city of wide and
gay streets, dotted with small parks
and adorned with many handsome
PUBIC puilulNEs. most OF Inem lDe
I gifts OF rich Greeks who have de-
| lighted to spend in the mother coun-
| try the fortunes which they have
earned abroad.
ITO such generosity Athens owes
the noble group of buildings which
comprise the university, the National
| Library. and the fine classic repro
| duction which houses the Academy of
, Science. and above all and to my mind
the most interesting, the noble sta
dium. built upon the old foundations
and along the old lines and ingeni-
! ousIy carrying in its fabric every frag-
ment of the old structure which
could be found.
I'm tho midst of all this moderately
stand the remains of the golden days
of Athens sedulousiy preserved, and
open to inspection with a freedom
nowhere .equalled The focus. Of
course, is the Acropoiis--tneompar-
able even in its ruins--its cliffs and
| grottoes sItll the hame~ of lesend and
of fable.
''As Of old the Greeks swarm the
seas Before the war the lhraeus
was one of the busiest OF Mediter-
ranean ports--indeed. it was the
, center OF transhipment for all the
East-whiie the Corinthian canal.
| after many financial vicissitudcs. now
seems 10 De In the way OF p0COrnlHk
each year a more and more useful
route between the Ionian and the
| Aegean Seas.
THE Greeks are a town people,
! One-tenth of the population It TO be
| found In Athens and the Piraeus
| The drain of emigration from the
rural districts is enormous. In the
words CT a cabinet minister. 1t con-
stitutes a grave national hemorrhage.
| Indeed, In some villages In the Pelo-
| ponnesns there remain scarcely
enough men to fil the offices.
| "In a land of much sunshine, a.
| Greece is. life IL followed much in the
| open. The oven Is almost invaria-
| bly, to be found in the courtyard, and
| 1t liz heated with d, led twigs, almost
| the only fuel of the country, which
are brought in huge piles upon the
hacks OF the patient little donkeys.
who vie with the goats in being the
most useful members Of the house
hold.
I AT Megara the native costume ap-
! pears at its best 1t is rarely seen
anywhere nowadays, and has almost
wholly disappeared from the cities.
| But for the Evsoues, or household
troops, the fustanella would be as
rare sight In Athens as the classic
garb, which is worn by Americans.
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