Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-25

Dictatofships in Europe are getting
to be an old story. American editors
see in these fiarebacks to one-man rule
temporary stages in the swinging of
the governmental pendulums. Pre-
nlier PanGaloS. the new self-announced
dictator of Greece, at the moment &C.
cupies the center of the stage in dis
cussions along these lines.
The dictator idea in Europe. OBJ
serves the Oakland Tribune, finds
supporters in times of political need.
and after one parliament or cabinet
after another has been unable to es-
tablish policies and translate them
into terms of action. then when the
necessity has pa ssed, or when the
strong man has lost his grip. Will
come the reaction and the return of
a representative government.
Commenting on the string OF die
tatorships on the Mediterranean. the
Morgantown New Dominion thinks
this is curious situation, seven
wears after q great war. fought to
make the world safe for democracy.
but does not see in il lasting con-
dition. for history. so far as II
teaches anything definitely. teaches
the alienation of popular moods.
!; x *
After all. the dictatorship of Gen.
Pancalos in Greece amounts merely
To the frank avowal of condition
which has existed for many months.
the Christian Science Monitor points
out. as it further declares. He is no
more dictator-nor leSS-todaY than
he was when he avoided arrest exile
and possibly more serious penalties
by Selling the government before his
foes could seize him.. AS the Charles
ton Evening Post further explains,
Gen. Pangalos, who accomplished a
coup d'etat in Greece last year and
has been at the head of the Athens
government since. has now thrown
off all pretensions to constitutional
restraint and has assumed dictatorial
powers"
Seeking reason for the develop
ment in Greece. the Kansas City
Journal takes into account Italian in
fiuence and says: whether this Is
= retaliatory gesture TO match that OF
Italy does not appear in the announce
ments. But the fierce rivalry between
Greece and Italy lends verisimilitude
to the suspicion. Pangalos may try
to restore the glory that was Greece
country in position to resist any
offensive gesture by her rival, Italy.
Where the Western ma tons are
trying to break new ground into new
world where mankind can find better
ways of living. Italy and Greece re
turn to the blood and thunder loyal
ties of the middle ages" deplores the
Houston Chronicle, as 1t recalls that
Greece gave the world its first de-
mocracy: Rome's greatness was built
on the strength and virtues of the
republic." The Chronicle expresses
the hope that these two nations will
soon abandon the false gods they are
now worshiping and return to the
loyalties that animated those early
Greeks and Romans" Speaking IN
similar vein. the Los Angeles Express
remarks: Love of liberty, independ
ence and f-government have been
the outstanding character of the
Greeks since the earliest record OF
that people. 1t isn't likely that those
of the twentieth century of the Chris
tan era will long submit to a con
dition against which the Greeks OF
twenty centuries before this era re
belled."
1.-The political reaction has been due
20 transient conditions, and will prob
ably pass with them," in the opinion
of the Rockford Star. The people
feel the need of a strong man and
surrender their power for the moment
feeling that they can take it back
when they like To the Duluth Her
aid lit is not surprising that ambi
tious and powerful men in countries
where disorder Is rife take advantage
of conditions to grasp power. But il
Is surprising" continues this journal
that great populations should allow
control to pass into the hands of in
dividuals who get X by illegal and
violent means
1.-THE more stable democracies have