The Washington herald., 1921-02-11
Against stupidity the very gods them
selves contend in vain.-Schiller.
The Muddle of Greece.

wv HAT comes from Greece and Asia Minor
" from day day and week to week as
news, is very mystifyng. 1t has told that
the Turks have beaten the Greeks back to Smyrna
and that only allied ships could them from
being driven INTO the sea.
Again it has told that the Turk army is disor
ganized and King Constantine proclaims that the
Greeks wipe them from the map any time
with gesture. He has not yet made the gesture
and ever since his return to Athens he has been
going to Asia Minor, but has not gone.
1t is said that Kemal Pasha has consolidated
his authority and reigns in the midst Of plenty
a prosperous and contented people. Again he is
hanging by his eyelashes, between Soviet Russia as
a master, brooding revolution and the Greek army.
When Constantine was recalled, it was said to
be by overwhelming vote Now the CORE
spondent Of the Christian Science Monitor, whose
foreign news is uncommonly reliable, tells another
story. He says Venzeos defeated by the over
confidence OF his followers who failed to vote while
Constantine got very little than half the total
electoral vote; with the army vote refused.
OF the 81 members in the chamber, but 100
thick and thin Royasts Venizelists;
90 are Independents and 62 personal adherents Of
NJ. Stratos, who is a member of the existing
government The government has to depend upon
combination for its majority and it is troubled
with dssension in its own ranks.
That this is has been proved by the recent
overthrow of Premier Rhallis The government
outwardly insulted and inwardly much dis
turbed by being asked to the London conference
on parity with the Turk Nationalists. But it
developed that both Rhallis, who is inclined to be
proaly, and his minister of war, Cournaris of
the extreme Royalst group. wished to be the Greek
representative.
Gournaris won at home only to find he might
not be recognized if he went to London so both
will stay in Athens. Instead, Kaogeropoulos has
become premier and as such will be the Greek
representative.
His influence will be according as he agrees
disagrees supports fails to support and in
fact recognizes as the real Greek authority there
Venizelos who is already in London confering with
Lloyd George to keep, if he can, what he alone won
for his country.
In the meanwhile Kemal first refusing to 60 to
London at all, be represented there, after max
ing all kinds of demands and playing the usual
Turkish game of bluff to a complete failure, has de-
cded to accept. The significance of this would
seem be that he does consider the support of
Soviet Russia sufficient to his present needs.
Into this mass of contradictions and the mess
Of conflicting Greek, Turk, Italian French Arabic
ard even remaining Armenian claims and demands,
some rays of light may come at London. Indeed
it Is probable that it may furnish the vestibue of
the open door.
Those who know best the Greek character,
Geek politics, the many conflicting groups and
ambitions, and the absence of real greatness in
Greek leadership, believe the rule of Constantine
viii be short 1t is possible, but probable that
if he recalled Venizelos he might save his throne
But so long as Sophia is his Queen, it is useless
to expect other than Hohenzollern control of the
weaker vessel. For the good of Greece, for the
peace Of the world for the final placing of the
Turk outside the pale, it is be hoped Greece will
of herself clean her house and restore the
only man Of her modern history, who has measured
to the concept of Greek greatness, and who is
eeded to be the towering figure among all of
Europe's statesmen.