Evening star., 1924-12-14
Minister of Greece
Is Popular Addition
To Diplomatic Corps
With Nine. Simopoulos,
Envoy Is Hopeful of Ac-
quiring Own Home-Tree
In Advance of Holiday.

The Republic of Greece has sent
to Washington as its first envoy DR..
Charalambos Simopoulos. one of its
most accomplished sons, a veteran
diplomat who has already seen %
years in the Greek foreign service
and who, after the old procedure
which held in Europe before the
World War, was educated to become
a. member of it's department of eN-
ternal affairs. This was in the royal
days of Greece, when King George
was OH the throne and when. in the
social sense, Athens was among the
most brilliant courts of the CONT
nent. During all the changes which
followed the Balkan and then the
World War, DIR. Simopoulos has con
tinued In the Greek foreign service
and has been assigned TO capitals
such as Sofia, Bulgaria, where the
utmost tact and knowledge of inter-
national relations were required. The
Greek Minister has gone through all
the gradations of the service, begin
ming as an attache in Egypt a quar-
ter OF century ago and reaching
the post Of Minister both at Paris
and at Rome before he was sent to
Washington.
1t was as charge d'affaireS of
Greece and acting for the venerable
DR.. Gennadius, who is the dean OF
diplomatists in Europe, having been
20 years the Minister from Athens to
Great Britain, that the Minister mar
ried Miss Lillian Benjamin, who has
accompanied him to this mission
Nine. Simopoulos Is native of Lon
don and is a charming young matron
who Will be a welcome addition to
the corps There Is one child, a boy,
f~l, x.rl,r ir 1,,cf
after the manner of the English, his
mother is carefully preparing a nurs-
cry for him in the Greek legation on
Connecticut avenue and LIE Roy place.
Th< present Minister renovated this
mansion in the most thorough
fashion. 1t has served as d Greek
legation for the past six years, but
much of that time as a bachelor nan
and chancelery and so would not meet
the requirements of a family such
as that of the present Minister
Nine. Simopoulos is anxious 70 get
under her own roof-tree for the
Christmas feast which will be OBJ
served with all due ceremonial. Tne
Minister belongs to the Greek Ortho-
dox Church. and until two years gao
Christmas for him would have meant
January 6. However, to make all
conditions easier and to conform TO
the customs of the majority OF the ma
| tions of Europe, the Republic OF
| Greece has officially adopted the Gre
| gorian calendar and thus Christmas
! among the Hellenes Is the same day
as among the western Christians.
| This change has taken place also
| among the non- Christian nations. so
| that Christmas and New Year day
| now are officially the same all over
the world.
| Nine. Simopoulos. being English
| will keep the great day after the
British tradition and her dinner table
] will sroan under American dishes,
] Chesapeake oysters, and to this Will
be added some of the English deli
cacies like fruit tarts and round
! of roast beef.
| Dr. Simopoulos has passed Christ
mas in probably every important
! capital of the world, with the excep-
tion of those of the west, and he con-
fesses to only a hazy memory OF
| the edibles which Athens serves as
| part of the Christmas dinner Dur
ing the 2b years he has been a mem.
Der Of the foreign service he has
visited Athens about every two years
| except during the World War, but
these yisitations were always in
Summer. He looks forward with
( keen anticipation to Christmas in the
New World, and th1i event will be
| notable in another way, too, since II
will be young Johns first Christmas
in this busy sphere, and though ht
is too young to appreciate a tree, toys
and the coming OF st. Nicholas, al
these will be duly recorded for hin
| in the Greek legation
The new Minister from Greece Is q
,Coatlnued ON Fifth Fags.l