The Raymer enterprise., 1921-08-11

tPrsparsd BY the National Geographic So
ciety. Warrington. ID. c.
Greece, In carrying on in Asia MI
nor, against the Turkish Natlonalists,
what may be called the only major
war now In progress. attracts atten-
ton anew to the prolonged presence
OF the Greeks on the world stage
There are few parallels to the strik-
ing racial phenomenon Of Hellenic
continuity throughout the vicissitudes
OF 1900 years. Modern research has
penetrated the dark byways OF me-
dieva Greek history, and We now
know that the Greeks, whatever their
temporary fate, have preserved un-
broken the thread Of their national
existence.
The tirmest bond which unites the
Greek Of today with his ilustrious
fOrebears Of the golden age Is the
Greek language, the essential ele-
ments Of which remain as they were
In the days when the tongue served
rs the medium Of the n0blest poetry
and the sublmest philosophy which
the race has yet produced. This
tongue traces Its unbroken lineage
back through medieval and New Tes.
lament Greek to the classic speech OF
Plato and of his contemporaries.
And yet, with all this continuity
# language there exists now In
Greece linguistic condition of at.
fairs around which centers a contro.
fersy al once comic or tragic: for
there are In Greece two languages,
or, rather. the one language In two
forms-one written by the newspa.
pers, spoken by the educated classes,
and used In parliamentary debates
and In public documents, including
the Scriptures, the circulation OF
which Is regulated by law; and the
other a vernacuar used by the mass.
es Of the people, containing many
words Of foreign origin. especially
Turkish and Italian, arising from
those periods of obreign occupation
with much simplified grammar rare,
ly reduced to writing, except for pri'
vate communications. The former Is
the cultured tongue: the latter the
popular ldiom; and between the two
there RACES a merciIess warfare, In
which fanatical students of the uni
verslty have lost their lives, ministers
their portfolios, and a Metropolitan
Of Athens his mIter.
Greece Of Today Almost New.
Greece Of today looks back only
three generations, II one places lis
origin In the war for independence
which was concluded by the protocol
Of London In 1880: and, witnessing
the progress which In that brief span
has been made in land of such
sparse resources, one cannot see how
praise can be withheld from a peo
pie who have accomplished so much
When the city Of Athens passed
from Turkish control and was des
lgnated as the capital of the new free
kingdom Of Greece, II was 4 mer,
handful Of wretched huts clustered
about the Acropolis. TodAy ii Is &
thoroughly modern city, with splen
did streets, magnificent public build
ings, handsome residences. attractIv,
| parks, and most Of the modern I'm
prOvements Of which western cite,
boast. The building Of this city alont
In II land Of such scanty resources |.
fnirly comparable to the development
OF our own rich West, and as meri
tori0us when all the circumstances
are considered. Indeed, had the Greel
of today nothing to his credit say,
tie building Of the attractive capita
of his nation, that alone would b.
sufficient to rank him among the con
siructive agencies of the moderr
world.
In this city Of old memories ant
new hopes, Greek life centers now n,
in Its classic days, and here ancien
and modern Greece are inextricabl,
mingled In curious medley Of mo
dernity and antiquity, which colors th,
most ordinary Of everyday affairs
On every hand arise the sha ierc,
monuments Of its splendid past. an,
even the tiniest fragments which
serve to link the life Of the presen
with the days that are gone are mos
carefully preserved
Guards lts Antiquities
The Greek government Is keenl,
alive to Its responsibility for the safe
guarding Of Its antiquities. and TN
department Of archaeology, under tn
charge Of the ministry of education
snd religion, Is painstakfngly organ
lied and prudently administered. Th'
museums at Athens are handsomel,
housed, conveniently arranged, ac
curately catalogued, and open to in
srection and study without fee, thi
| tn.t,u hntn~ ~ntnH - u~onk r>~SA,