Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-05

1t IS a long stretch of time from
500 BIC. to 1926 A.D., but it is
longer span between Greece ruled
by Pericles and Greece of today
under the dictatorship of Gen. Pan
galos.
Premier Pangalos announces that
the Parliament which he dissolved
last July . will not be reconvened,
and that he has ceased attempting
any government based upon the con-
stitution and it's Parliament. Here
after he will depend upon military
force and the public conscience.
Just what he finds in public con-
science" in common with a Napoleonic
dictatorship is not explained.
Gen. Pangalos. backed by the army,
seized the government last June 25.
and on July 2. upon dissolving Par
lament. proclaimed that he would
preserve the constitutional form Of
parliamentary government "if posi-
BILE On January the dictator,
speaking at dinner given him by
his Military League. declared that
il was no longer possible to govern
with a Parliament representing the
people, as provided by the cOnstitu-
ton.
There are Greeks who still believe
ii
at an early date. although the consti-
tuition stipulates that whenever a Par
lament is dissolved. the act of disso-
luton shall then and there designate
the date for election of its successor.
BY PangaloS' announcement, the con-
stitution is set aside and the Repub-
lie of Greece has become an oligarchy
in the grip of a military dictatorship.
responsible neither to King, President
nor the people. but only to the army.
There are some observers who al
lege that the dictatorship of the Mill
tary League constitutes an imminent
menace, not alone to the liberty of
IGreece but TO the peace of the Balkans
and of Asia Minor. To understand
the nature of the menace one must
understand the character and his
tory of Gen. PangaloS, former COM
mander-in- chief of the Greek army
and recall the history of Greece. as
it overthrow the kingdom and became
republic
When the World War came, King
Constantine undertook to maintain
the neutrality of Greece. He was
accused of being pro-German, while
the then premier. NeniZelos. was in
sympathy with the allies. The allies
took possession of the Greek fleet and
dethroned Constantine, who was sue
ceeded by his second son, Alexander,
with NeniZeloS continuing as premier.
The whole country then divided into
two parties-one loyal to Constantine,
the other the NeniZelists, or Liberals.
To this day the Liberals are called
Nenizelists, although they do not all
support the ideas of NeniZelos, who
is in exile. Between September, 1922,
and November, 1924, eight ministers
held power, an average period of three
months each, while public excitement
grew intense as the political changes
followed in quick succession.
At the election, December 16, 1928,
the government had so manipulated
martial law, according to the Royal
lists, as to make the election one
sided. The Nenizelists won sweep
ing victory, the Royalists refusing to
vote.
BY that time the Nenizelists had
subdivided, and although all the 1893
members of Parliament who were
elected were all Venizelists, they rep
resented three factions-260 Progress
sives, civilians who really favored a
monarchy but desired stricter par
liamentary limitations, as against the
Republicans and the United Repub
leans openly opposed to the dynasty.
Although totaling only 149, these lat
ter two factions were much more ag-
gressive, and, being composed mainly
of military men, they were formi-
dable opponents of the Progressives.
The leader of the Progressives was
Kafandaris; of the Republicans and
United Republicans the leaders were
George Kondylis and Gen. Theodor
Pangalos.
X X X X
On the day following the election
Gen. Pangalos demanded that King
George II successor to the deceased
Alexander) and Queen Elizabeth take
vacation and leave Greece free"
to decide on a form of government.
The King and Queen, fearing the
army, fled to Rumania, and Admiral
Koundouriotis was appointed regent.
Venizelos, although in exile, was elect
cd to the assembly by 10 constituent