Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-27

mania in the spring of 1921. lie is
still regarded rs the heir apparent. but
whether he will succeed Constantine is
problematical. The only other son of
the king is Prince Paul, born DccCm-
Der IA, 1901.
Married Life Not Happy
Constantine was born NJ Athens, Au-
gust -, 1865. His mother was before
her marriage the Russian Grand ,
Duchess Olga. King George was a
lutheran. Queen Olga Of the Orthodox |
Greek faith. and Constantine diplo- !
matically embraced the latter creed, !
which was that of his people.
In October. 1850. he became the
brother in law of the German Kaiser
BY marrying Princess Sophie of Prussia
sister of Wilhelm II. Through his
father, Danish prince. he was already
q first cousin of both King George OF
Great Britain and the late Car Nicho-
las.
Constantine's married life is said to
have been unhappy. His wifi" declined
20 give up the Lutheran religion. For
n time she left him and lived in Darn
stadt. Germany. The Kaiser reproved
her for opposing her husband.
Sire. | am not one OF your ULlans
she cried.
Later the royal difficulties were
patched up.
The Treaty Of Sevres, by the signing
Of which peace was declared between
the Allies and Turkey, gave the Greeks
control of Smyrna and the greater part
of Thrace. which for centuries had been
Turkish territory.
Relatives Betrayed Him
In 1897. when Constantine was
twenty nine and already the head OF
the Greek Army, his country was thrust
into war with Turkey. He had trusted
to his powerful relatives In Berlin,
London and Petroprad to avert the war,
and they had betrayed him. The Turks
were led by German officers.
The Island of Crete, inhabited by
Grecians. had proclaimed its indepen-
dence OF turkey and its union with
Greece. The great powers hauled down
the Greek flag in Crete and threatened
to annihilata the Grecian vesssl of war
sent to protect the Cretans. In this war
Constantine gained little prestige.
But even before this he showed him
self to possess qualities OF greatness.
When he was twenty five years old
the country was poverty stricken by
bad harvcsts and the Cabinet, unwi>e
enough 10 increase taxation, brought
the nation TO the verge of revolution.
The malCOntentS swarued into the pub
lie square at Athens The police or
dered out troops to diSperse the crowd.
Suddenly Constantine appeared on
horseback, issued counter order send
ing the troops back TO the barracks,
rode alone among the people to henr
their story, then went to the palace
and forced the resignation of the Cab
tnet.
Personally Put Down Riot
At another time he personally put
down a riot among the army officers IN
Athens, arresting 110 of them. keep
ing them in prison while the whole city
bombarded the prison with flowers and
the royal palace with angry demands
that the men be freed
Accepting the post of honorary presl =
dent of the Hack Drivers Union, he
called off a strike which, during his
absence from Athens, had tied up the
traffic and in two hours had persuaded
every hackman To return TO work with
out increase of pay.
He finally won the Greeks golden
opinions by his activity during fhr
period before the first Balkan War whcr
the military spirit of Greece was re-
viving. When the contest with Tur-
key finally broke out. Constan-
tine at once put himself al tNc
head of the Hellenic forces. lie tool;
Salonica and when be won the long
night for Janice, the Greeks were wild
with enthusiasm.
Then came the tragic end of King
George while surveying his new spalort
OF Salonica. Constantine burst into
Tears on hearing his father was dead.
he hurried 70 Athens, where he was
proclaimed King.
Monarch Has Six Toes
Constantine is the only known Euro
pean ruler who was horn with six
toes, instead of FIVE, on each foof and
this fact counted heavily in his favor
with the superstltious class Of his sub
jects.
Before the World War started. Con.
fantine had showed himself inclined
TO favor the Germans He became
persona non grata to Paris because OF
tactless speech in which he attributec
the successes Of Greek arms In III,
two Balkan wars to training by Ger.
man officers. This incident was neva,
forgotten, despite various explanation,
BY Constantine
When the general European wa
started IN 1914, Greece bccnme di,
vided into two camps. One dcmandc,
that Greece Join the Allies and p,l
the finishing stroke to Turkey. Th
other was for neutrality. The lar
ter was headed by Constantine.
Constantine was moved not only b.
bis admiration for Germany and by M
family connections with the II0ben
Eollerns, but also because he himscl
had experienced the full horrors O
war such short time before. He dil
not wish to see his little country raw
aged or further burdens of debt lai,
upon il.
Constantine finally won, and tn
Premier, Nenivelos, who had oppose
him, left the country in rage. TIL
French ana British attacked the Oar
danelles without GreeCe's assistance
but the campaign was disastrous TO tn
Allies.
George Related to Victoria
Prince George is the youngest of tn
great grandchildren of the late Quee
Victoria Of England.
The Turkish Nationalsts, led b
Mustapha email Pasha, in revol
against the Constantinople Government
opposed the provisions of the treat
awarding those regions to Greece. an
- . result IN the spring Of 1921 tn
question OF revising the document wa
discussed at an allied conference il