The Washington herald., 1920-12-10
Open Court
Letters to
TheHerald
Views of Readers on
Matters of National
And Local Import.
GIVES VIEWS ON GREEK REyEc.
T1ON OF vENIZEL0s.

GIVES VIEWS ON GREEK REJEC-
TIoN or vENIzELos.
To tbs Editor. rbe wsshinrton Beuh:
with the elimination Of ciemen-
cesu. and the anti-wIlson landslide
OF the last election. fresh in mind,
the severe Reputation Of Eleuthe-
rios Venizelos by the Greek people.
In the recent general elections, will
appear TO many as a logical conse-
quence OF postwar Psychology.
People on both sides Of the Allan
tic will wonder at the debacle suf-
November IL Notwithstanding the
warnings given by snu-veniEelist
Greeks. here and abroad. 10 the ef-
feet that nine-tenths Of the Hellenic
people were against the man, his
party and his Dictatorship.
The defeat Of Venizelos will
mean the victory OF the pro-German
element in Greece" Thus some OF
the most influential New York dali
les commented on the Greek election
on the morning Of November IL. And
yet twenty-four hours Afterwards the
same papers were forced TO inform
their readers Of the fact that the
Venizelist party in Greece was
with eleven members Of his cabinet
failed OF reelection. Still Greece did
not go pro-Germsn as France GER
tainly did not so pro-German when
Clemencesu was put out of ONCE,
and as America did not go pro-
German when she buried Wilson
and his policies under Republican
votes.
Greece simply got rid OF Venize-
los. and that is about the size Of IL.
And she punished him for no other
reason than because this man had
sinned against the one thing
Greeks have always considered 10
be sacred. namely their political and
national liberty.
Venizelos was clever in finding out
before hand what IL was the big fell
lows wanted from him. and in Civ
ing IL to them before they asked
for IL.
The Greek people in this case
would have admired their dictator. il
he had not usurped power by the use
Of French-made revolution and the
active collaboration of Senegalese
troops. They would have accepted
Nenizelos IL he had not boasted Of
the fact that he was instrumental
in bringing about the allied block
/
ing the terrible winter Of 1916 and
1917, when hundreds Of innocent
people starved TO death. They would
have accepted him, had he on tho
day following the dethronement ~
King Constantine. dissolved the then
existing Parliament and proclaimed
. general election in order 70 get a
popular mandate. They would have
accepted him. had he not brought
back to life the constitutionaIly de-
funct Parliament of June Is, 1915
after purging fl Of one half Of its
members. for the crime OF opposing
the Venizelist party. And they
would have accepted him and his
greatness. had he shown even a
slight regard for the rights Of In.
plain people.
Venizelos did nothing Of the kins.
He simply got hold of the country
as an invader. and held Il down IN
submission by terrorism. 1t was he
who formed the terrible security DO
lice and the secret service corps. the
main object OF these organizations
being the running down OF all those
mot fsvoring" the Venizelos uncon-
stitutional regime. II was he who
in defiance Of every political aud
parliamentary principle extended the
unconstitutional life Of his resur-
rected Parliament OF June, 1915. up
to October. 1890: Il was he who
gagged the press by the most severe
kind of censorship maintained IN
to the day Of his defeat II wa. he
who established and maintained out
Of the public funds the most er-
tended and most active propaganda
all over the world in order 70 Sian
der and prosecute his opponents in
every corner OF the globe, from
Egypt TO San Francisco. from
Scandinavia 70 the Cape and from
Spain to Australia
| To say that the whole structure
/ Of the Venizelos dictatorship was
I upheld by every political and com
! merctal profteer in Greece: TO add
that Greek organized labor has suf-
! fered untold persecution under the
Nenizelist regime: to state that
: waste Of public money. and a riot
Of graft held full sway in Greece
! for three years, and to inform the
] admirers OF the great Cretsn" that
: the Venizelist experiments have cost
q little Greece the round sum Of s. 600 =
E 1000, 10000 drachmas OF public debt.
) Is to give only some additional eN-
|. PLANTATION Of his fearful defeat at
E the polls.
4 The elimination of venizelos from
a the political stage OF Greece leaves
: the country independent and united.
And the Greek people once more be-
! coming masters in their own homes.
r ought to be allowed to settle their
/ own affairs as they please, even TO
the extent OF having back their OK
e lied King who is more popular than
$ ever, because he typifies the Hell
] lenic revolt against the autocrscy
= and the absolutism of unliberal Ven
e tzeiism.
= ADAMANTIoS PoLYZoIDEs.
i