San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-11

1
he was an exile in Switzerland, hav-
ing been forced TO abdicate by the AL
lies owing TO his pro-German attitude
during the war. Upon the death of his
successor, his son, Alexander, due to
the bite of pet monkey, in October
1920. Constantine returned to Athens
amid great enthusiasm of the Greek
people plebiscitc having determined
in favor of his restoration TO power.
| Constantine, with his wife and sew
eral children, were conveyed from
Athens on a British warship to an
Italian port and then proceeded 10
| Switzerland. where the dcpossd king
made his home for more than three
years following his abdication.
Trouble With Marriage.
Alexandar's reign, however. ended in
October, 1920, when the young king
died as the result of being bitten by a
| pct monkey. The dead monarch left
mOrganatic widow in the person of one
Mile. Manos, whose marriage Constau-
tine had yainly tried to have declared
| invalid.
Eliphtherios Venizelos, then premier
of Greece, whose political activity con-
tributed TO the overturning of the old
regime, had been a loyal supporter of
Alexander. 1t was generally supposed
/ that Alexander would be succeeded by
| his brother, Prince Paul. In fact, Paul
was actually proclaimed king. but he
declined to accept unless Nenizelists OBJ
! tanned the consent of his father aud
| Crown Prince George, both Of whom re-
fused.
This situation created a government
crisis aud on November %, a plcbiScitc
was held throughout Greece to determine
whether Constantine should be returned
to the throne. @~ EfEase
In spite of the achievements of Ven
izelos for his country during the war
and its resultant territorial advantage
to Greece, the government was over
turned and the Nenizelos cabinet i'm
mediately resigned, n new ministry be-
ing formed by Premier Rhallis. The
vote gave the Royalists go seats in
the chamber of deputies. as against
us for Nenizelists. Charges were made
that the plebiscite was fraudulent, an!
Ncnizolos became a practical fugitive
from Greece. Several months before the
election he was shot by an assassin in
Paris but was only slightly wounded.
Prayer of Thanks.
Great preparations were made my
the populace to welcome Constantine
back TO Athens. The former king. be-
fore leaving Switzerland for his native
land. declared that one Of the first
things he would do upon entering Athens
would be to enter the Greek Catholic
Cathedral and offer n prayer of thanks
to God for his restoration to the
throne.
Constantine's devotion 10 the cause
Of Germany and the central powers
was generally attributed TO the influence
of his wife. Sophia. HOhenzOllcrn
princess and sister Of Emperor William
of Germany. Criticism of him was
aroused by his reputation of the treaty
between Greece and Serbia pledging the
support of either power il the other
were attacked by Bulgaria. Constan- |
tine asserted that Greece was not
bound TO carry out her part of the |
pledge because Serbia was attacked, not !
only by Bulgaria. but by Austria and |
Germany and. that. il Greece had in
terposcd. she would have suffered the |
fate of Belgium.
The demand for his abdication was
not based upon this failure TO FULFILL |
treaty provisions, but upon his repeated |
dismissals Of Greek parliaments and TO
charges that he or Greek minister under
his direction. had aided the central
powers by PERMITTING the establishment
of German submarine bases in Greek
waters. surrendering Greek forts and
men TO bulgaria. and by declining to
remove the menace of his army from
the rear of the entente forces on the
Macedonian front When the allies oc-
cupiPd part of Athens 10 enforce n de- I
mand for a surrender Of ten batteries Of
Greek artiIlpry to compensate for the
surrender of Greek guns TO the central
powers. fighting pnsucd, and there were
about 200 casualties. The king sur
rendered the batteries.
VenizeIos Set Up Government.
Meanwhile, because of the conduct of
Constantine. Venizelos had established
a provisional government at Saloniki
and organized an army. declared was on
some Of the allies Of the cenra, powers
and was constantly gaining accessions
from the former ndherentS of COnstan-
tine. whose followers steadily were leav-
ing him. The entente powers laid an
embargo on imports to Greece as a re-
sult of which the Greeks suffered severe
before the king was forced
to abdicate.
Constautine's reign dated from March
Is. 1918. when his father George 7. was
He was horn on August
3. 1865 was educated BY German tu-
tors and received military instruction
at German army Taneuvres.
After having been once dismissed as
of the Greek army in 1909.
because of ponular clamOr against him,
Constantine then crown rrince, became
n national hero in the Balkan war Of
1912. by leading q Greek aTmv to the
rapture Of Saloniki from the Turks. ms
4 result Of which he was accorded the
n .