Evening star., 1921-07-27
Changes in Fortunes Of Greece
1 Since Armistice Amaze World

against the other. The facts here stated
are simply not denied by any one IN
Athens in private conversation Iney
do not contradict the posslbility tnat
Venizelos was perhaps justihed IN tak
ing raordinary measures IN time OF
crisis when the national existence OF the
allies and Greece was at stake. They
do not detract from Venizelos' remark
able qualities as statesman ana dipio-
mat. But they are necessary 10 an un
derstanding of what has since happened
Americans accustomed to live under
a republic, cannot understand the re-
ligious devotion of the Greek people
toward Constantine. They cannot uh-
derstand how mystic love the GREEKS
held for a man for whom they prayed
every Sunday in church, to whom
every male of military age took an
oath of personal allegiance. with
whom they sustained a religious re-
lationship, for whose sanctity my
were held responsible to their COD.
Americans cannot understand how the
intensely individualist Greeks. quar-
relsome and defiant ever since the
days of Pesistratus. resented the
measures repreSsive of individual lib
erty which Venizelos was obliged to
institute in order to carry his regime
through the war and the critical
months following.
PerpIexes Foreign Observers.
The mystic strain in the Greek peO-
pie always perplexes the foreign OBJ
server The Greeks believe themselves
in some sense chosen people of the
Creator. They. will tell you quite
calmly in ordinary conversation: I'VE
are the salt of the earth" They firm
ly believe themselves direct descend
ants and inheritors of the ancient
Hellenes. an assertion which. in ,pi
of the many abilities of the Greek
people. is far from being historically
accurate. In nearly all Greek houses
beside the picture of the king you
will find engravings showing the bat
ties of the war of Greek Independence.
with the Creator sitting in the heav-
ems and blessing the Greek troops. To
so self-assertive and mystic people
as the Greeks such picture is mere
ly the exact representation of the lit
eral truth.
But along with mysticism and in
dividualism there is shrewdness.
mercurial mental facility which SIM
ply takes the foreigners breath away.
President Wilson paid public tribute
to the shrewdness of Venizelos. Every
American business man who has been
in Greece is awed by this quality in
the, modern HeIlenes. Therefore the
following remarkable story does not
seem improbable to those who have
lived in Greece. 1t is a story which
can never be proved true. but it Is
believed by large percentage of the
people in Greece, and by highly placed
and responsible officials of the allied
and associated governments who are
thoroughly familiar with Greek af-
fairs.
Were in CahOOts.
The story is simply this: That Con-
stantine and Veneizelos were in ca
boots. That they agreed at the: be-
ginning Of the war to take opposite
sides. in order that Greece might
come in on the side of the winner at
the critical moment and share in the
spoils of war. That they made
cret pact that each, assuming him
self to speak for the Greek nation.
was to work publicly for Greek alli-
ance with the respective combatants
in the world war. to anathematize
each other. to create civil strife and.
II necessary. civil war. to become. as
events might necessitate. dictator or
exile-and all for the glory of Greece.
And so Greece got the spoils. and
then got her king. too. But then
something happened-defeat came and
brought with it much disillusionment