Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-08-17
impairing in the least. his popularity
with the Hellenic people.

impairing in the least. his popularity
with the Hellenic people.
The Greeks may have many faults
but they are not collectively stupid.
So when they stood in favor of their
King all through the time when he
was abused and slanderea by the
whole world, that means that they
knew what they were doing in their
own home. They did not wish to en-
ter the war until they felt that the
enterprise would be successful, and
they did not wish to engage in the
greatest of all wars at the command
of others. The statesmen directing
the allied policies during the . war
thought otherwise, and they took it
upon themselves to force Greece in
to the fray. They did so by entering
Greece as masters, by exiting her
King, by appointing a Dictator of
their own choosing, and by more or
less approving his arbitrary and
tyrannous acts during three and a
half years.
Then the Greek people was given
the first chance to express its SOW
ereign will in five years. The
verdict is well known, and the only
fact which does not seem to have
been fully digested in the magnitude
of the Greek popular victory, which
was much greater than that of the
Republican landslide in the last pres
idential election.
1t is on the strength. of that
popular election in which Mr.. Veni-
zelos lost his own district by 5000
votes in 5 O., 900 voting that the
present Greek Government came to
power. This Government controls the
Chamber with two hundred and
eighty seats against ninety held by
the Opposition On the other hand
the return of King Constantine is
the result of a national plebiscite in
which he received (9800l of the to-
tai vote cast.
In the face of this verdict, the,
only thing that the allies could do
was to deny recognition to, King
Constantine, but at the same time
they extended recognition to the
Government issuing from the polls
and continued their close co-opera-
ton with. those constituting it
There is not a Single instance in
which an allied Minister. was re-
called from Greece since the return
of Constantine since our Minister,
Mr.. Caps, who came back from
Athens, did so in compliance with
the established custom affecting all
our diplomats, Immediately after a
change in the Washington Admin
listration.
The non recognition of King Con-
stantine prevented the Greek Gov
eminent from sending Ministers
Plenipotentiary to the allied capitals
and in this category Washington is
likewise included. That fact however
has not prevented the Government
of all, countries to accept Charges d.
Affaires of Greece who represents
the Hellenic Government without
being the immediate representation
of the Crown as is the case with an
Ambassador or an Envoy.
Now in the face of all thisit seems
that of all the representatives of the
Greek Government abroad, the n
in Washington has the unique dis
tinction of being stunned and un-
recognised for no other reason than
because on November Ia,
1920 seven tenths of the Greek cleo
~torate deliberately chose to over
throw the Venizelist dictatorship set
up in June 1917 by the French sena-
COr JOlIdrC, dllu w SStdpliSH q Popu-
lar Government of their own. Thus
the question arises whether of all
countries of the earth, ours is
the only one that has taken the Veni-
zelos defeat much more seriously
than it deserved, in which case one
cannot but wonder at the fact.
Be that as it may, the truth re-
mains that the present Greek Gov
eminent is at the present time shar-
ing with King Constantine, the pop
ularity accruing to them both from
the victorious operations of the Hell
lenic army, and much as Constantine
is disliked abroad, he and the Greek
are to-day by the force of circum-
stances the only factor of order and
civilization in the Turco-Bolshevik
turmoil of Anatolia and Asia Minor.