The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-06-24
Athens and the AeropoIls.


CPrepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. D. c.
Greece, in carrying on in Asia MI
nor, against the Turkish Nationalists,
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 1000 years Modern research has
penetrated the dark byways Of me-
dieval Greek history, and we now
know that the Greeks, whatever their
temporary fate, have preserved un-
broken the thread of their national
existence.
The frmest bond which unites the
Greek of today with his illustrious
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
as the medium Of the noblest poetry
and the sublimest philosophy which
the race has yet produced This
tongue traces its unbroken lineage
back through medieval and New Tes-
lament Greek 10 the classic speech Of
Plato and of his contemporaries.
And yet, with all this continuity
Of language, there exists now In
Greece u linguistic condition Of af-
fairs around which centers contro-
yersy at 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 q vernacular used by the mass
es Of the people, containing many
words Of foreign origin, especially
Turkish and Italian, arising from
those periods of foreign occupation,
with much simplifed grammar rare
ly reduced TO writing, except for pri-
vate communications. The former Is
the cultured tongue; the latter the
popular idiom; and between the two
there RACES merciless warfare, in
which fanatical students of the uni
versity have lost their lives ministers
their portfolios, and Metropolitan
of Athens his inter.
Greece OF Today Almost New.
Greece Of today looks back only
three generations, II one places its
origin in the war for independence,
which was concluded by the protocol
of London In $780, 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.
ignated as the capital OF the new free
kingdom of Greece, II was mere
handful OF wretched huts clustered
about the AcropoliS. Today II is 8
thoroughly modern city, with splen
did streets, magnificent public build
ings, handsome residences, attractive
parks, and most OF the modern i'm
provements Of which western cite:
boast. The building OF this city alon'
in land OF such scanty resources 1!
fairly comparable to the development
81. nj II
torious when all the circumstances
are considered. Indeed, had the Greel
OF today nothing to his credit saw
the building OF the attractive capita
Of his nation, that alone would t'
sufficient to rank him among the con
structIve agencies Of the moderI
world.
In this city of old memories anC
new hopes. Greek life centers now a
ia its classic days, and here ancicn
and modern Greece are ineXtricabl
mingled Ia q curious medley Of mo
dernity and antiquity which colors tn
most ordinary of everyday affairs
on every hand arise the shattere
monuments of It's splendid past. an
even the tinlest fragments whic
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 fcenl
alive to its responsibility for the saf,
guarding of its ANTIQUITIES aud IN
department OF archaeology. under tn
charge OF the ministry OF educauo
and religion, is palnstakingly orgar
lied and prudently administered. TIL
museums at Athens are handsomel
housed. conveniently arranged, az
curately catalogued, aud open to II
spection and study without fee, thi
latter being a point of great prid