The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-17
FRENCH ALARMED
AT VENIZELOS FALL
Defeat Of Premier Forecasts
Loss of French Prestige
in Greece.
SEWERS TREATY IN PERIL
Paris Foreign Office Will Use
All Efforts to Bar Con-
stantine.
SEWERS TREATY in PERIL

Special Gable to TIE NEW York HERALD.
Copyright, 1870, 5U THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris, Nov. I6
The defeat at the polls of Premier
Venizelos, following that of President
Wilson. has caused something akin to
CONSERVATION in French diplomatic cir
cles. In the Venizelos downfall diplo-
matists here see an inevitable loss of
French prestige in Greece, and 1t was on
this prestige that France counted. espe-
cially for the maintenance of the zones
Of influence prescribed by the Turkish
peace treaty protocol.
These zones were obtained at the price
of Premier Venizeloss territorial amb-
tons in Smyrna, and when 1t is remem-
bered that the defeated Greek Premier
was never frankly Francophie, but that
his policy wds controlled largely by
British interests, the danger of the new
situation to the European Powers is
easily understood. Now that the Con-
stantinists have defeated the leader who.
since 1916, enjoyed the fullest confidence
OF the allied political chiefs, the down.
fall Of the Sevres treaty seems certain,
with the limitation OF the French and
British supervision of the execution of
the treaty as demanded by the Turkish
Nationalist under Mustapha Renal, as
an immediate result.
The French Foreign Office Is under
stood to be determined to use all efforts
to keep Constantine off the throne, and
in this it is believed Great Britain will
cooperate.
THE NEW YORK HERALD correspondent
here talked with numerous high placed
French officials to-day and they were
unanimous in the belief that King Con-
! Stantine will not permit Crown Prince
| George to ascend the Greek throne, but
! will insist on n complete restoration OF
! the monarchy with himself as K!ng. now
that the Greek people have shelved all
that Premier Venizelos stood for. When
Crown Prince Georges Prussian training
and reported leanings toward the mill
taristic ideas OF his uncle, the Kaiser are
/ remembered the French are nClincd to
! cave King Constantine to settle his own
1 difficulties by again assuming the throne.
The most important section of the
I French press, however, opposes this on
the grounds that it would represent
| recrudescence of Prussian theories and
the undong of the whole fabric OF the
peace thus woven by allied diplomatists.
I In so far as the Western nations are
concerned, 1t is held here that it would
be unwise not to recognize the danger
D
/ Bolsheviki. which will undeniably be
strengthened following the downfall Of
the Venizelos party The Kemalists APP
parently have rendered Armenia in
/ capable Of further opposition, and are
only waiting until the Caucasus route
is opened to proclaim at least political
/ identity of aspirations with the Bolshe-
Wiki
Constantines interests. according to
the consensus here, lie in recstablishing
I Greece as it existed before the European
war His foreign policy continues I'M
ambitious all his expressions strikingly
| like those of the American voters who
| overthrow the Wilson regime, being for
! the maintenance of Greece's indepen-
derce and opposed to being drawn into
the family quarrels of other nations or
being used by Great Britain in en-
| forcing Turkish respect for British
claims in Mesopotamia.
For the time being, however. Admiral
/ p. CoundouriCtis, Regent of Greece,
seems TO be holding the situation well in
hand but, according to dispatches re-
ceived here to-day it would take little
/ 10 provoke either civil war or the re-
establishment on the throne of the eX-
\ He'd monarch, who is only awaiting his
! chance and who is only a few miles
/ from the scene of the League of Nations
NEE ting in Geneva, which processes TO
/ observe as a basic principle the right of
any people TO scde how and by whom
! they shall be governed
In Greek circles in Paris the belief
was expressed to-day that NJ Venizelos,
although defeated by the royalists In his
! own bailiwick, will not be dropped by
the new regime when it is installed. 1t
was declared that his close contact with
the Western Powers is most vitally
necessary to the new Government If
Greece is to retain world confidence.
The election of NJ VeniZcloss son is
regarded here as assured, and the be-
lief was expressed that he may be in
duced 70 seek election In his sons place
IL the latter should resign, and thus his
services would not be lost TO Greater
Greece In the formation Of which he
was principally responsible Incident
ally only the French position prevented
his inclusion OF Constantinople into this
Greater Greece. as the browning glory
Of his diplomatic career.