The Washington herald., 1920-11-13
Wise men ne'er sit and wall their loss,
but eheerily seek how to redress their
harms.-Shakespeare
Venizelos-Victor or Vanquished.

"yIILE many of his fellow citizens tomorrow
w will be celebrating Armistice Day after the
religious fashion suggested by President
Wilson, the voters of Greater Hellas will be pass
ing judgment Venizelos. Europeans have no
scruples about exercising the highest civic func-
lions on Sunday. We have only proceeded far
as to let the political managers the day for
conferences and for the last devices of intrigue and
here and there an occasional speech eamoufaged
under the title of layman's talk good govern
ment. But some day we also may vote Sunday
Venizelos's peril, so far as it exists, comes from
several quarters. First, there monarchists,
scientious and otherwise Second, there are the
mlitarists who not content with the striking ter
ritorial extension of the state, partly by diplomacy
and partly by force of arms, wish for other fields
conquer; they hesitate still further strengthen
the moral and political power of man who at
bottom is for a dsarmed world and for prompt
reduction of the Greek forces and the financial
burdens they entail. Third there the elements
of the population hostile to the understanding with
Greece's neighbors which Venizelos has worked
out and averse to his effort to stabilize conditions
in the Balkans. Last, but not least there those
individuals who weary of hearing him called
"Aristdes the just" and who ehafe at the assump-
ton by his partisans that he and only he of all
Greeks is able to govern the state wisely.
The forces that the Cretan has on his side are
lists republicans, who for time at least con-
tent to be a kingdom, so long as the 'uncrowned
king" may actually govern. To these must be
added those important trading and financial ele-
ments of the nation who wish to consolidate for
national welfare the certain gains that must come
from political rule wealth producing territory
and commerce-controlling ports formerly Turkish.
Moreover, to these must be added the favor Of the
powers that wish to continue to do business with
Venizelos as premier rather than with any of his
rivals.
Venizelos is too commanding figure in Europe
for any well-informed American to be Indifferent to
his future. His past is He combines
ceptonal intellectual power with high character,
and his methods statesman appeal to the modern
man with peculiar force, for he posts his argu-
ments evidence much after the style of scien-
fist 1t is commonly understood and said that his
brief" for Greece presented at the Peace Confer
ence outclassed all others there presented by the
smaller nations in its Recommendation" and clear,
logical exposition. Long prior to 1914 he had
proved that of all in power he best understood
the actual of affairs in the congcrie of peoples
inhabiting Southeastern Europe and Western Asia,
and that he also had the fairest plan for compos-
ing national strifes. His natonalism with its high
ambitions for Greece never has led him to forget
that Greece had neighbors be dealt with justly;
and while an idealis in his ultimate hopes, he like
Cavour, the maker of modern Italy, has not over
rated the moral capacities of his countrymen his
rivals. Like Lincoln, he is patient, compliant for
time but firm as rock when the point beyond
which compromise can go is reached