Evening star., 1926-04-15

| individual followers Of q leader. These
! followers drift from one group to an
| other, as minor issues control or in
| fiuence them, and debates are both
| prolonged and often very acrimo-
NOUS. It was this feature that I'M
PEELED Dictator Pangalos, year ago,
to denounce all efforts at parlia-
mentary government as futile and
| ttresome.
When venizelos was premier he
| undertook to develop q party based
upon distinctive principles; he want
ed peace, both internal and foreign.
He was supported by Gen. Pangalos,
until they differed over the policy OF
paciflcation or aggresstveness in the
course of the negotiations preceding
the Lausanne treaty in 1923.
This was the settlement OF the
Greco Turkish war, which war had
resulted in the terrible debacle of the
Greeks in Asia Minor.
By the treaty after the 1912 Balkan
war Bulgaria had been awarded part
of western Thrace, from which oil
Greeks soon emigrated 10 get away
from Bulgarian rule. After the 49,
rout in Asia Minor the Greek army
was demoralized and helpless. until
Gen. Pangalos personally took COM
mand and reorganized 1t into strong
fighting machine.
In the second Lausanne treaty nego-
tiations the existence of the Pangalos
army upon the boundary Of Thrace
was the chief weapon Of strength to
the allies. who used it TO threaten the
Turkish and Bulgarian opponents into
making a favorable settlement. -tt
that time VenizeloS was in Lausanne
engaged in delicate negotiations Of
peace. and Pangalos was at the head
Of his army. straining TO march
against Constantinople. The differ
ences between the policies of the two
leaders resulted in the fall Of Veni-
zelos and his retirement TO Paris,
where he is devoting himself to liter
ary work, while Pangalos has risen to
supreme power. Under the aggres
sivenesS OF the later rule, Greece has
had to pay indemnitieS to Italy and
Bulgaria for encroachmentS upon
their territorial rights.
X X y y
Greater problems than boundaries
have confronted Greece in recent
years, especially since the Turkish
defeat. With a normal population of
less than 5,000.0 she has had TO re-
ceive and provide for 100000 Greek
refugees from Asia Minor, exchanged
for an equal number of Turks export
ed from Greece. There has never been
such a migration Of peoples as was
that Greco-TurkiSh exchange. The
refugees in Greece equaled 80 per cent
of its normal population. That would
have been equaled in the United States
only II every man. woman and child
in France had suddenly entered our
country. practically penniless and al
together homeless, and AmericanSshad
been called upon to supply shelter,
food and employment for 35,O00,0OO
newcomers. The refugees in Greece
were Greeks, but they had lived all
their lives in Asia Minor.
The refugees toll in health, in suf-
fering and in loss of life through ex.
posure has been appalling. There are
thousands of orphans who have sur
vived the loss of parents or Of fathers.
These are being cared for by chari-
table organizations, including the Re
lief Of the FatherlesS Children Of
Greece and the Near East Relief. The
Greek government operates 80 or
phanag ges.
In spite Of the influx of refugees,
there is a shortage Of male help, and
much of the labor in the fields and in
dustries is done by women. The art
of rug and carpet weaving, for which
Asia Minor was famous, has been
athd is being fostered there. with not
less than 1000 looms, each employ
ing four or five women. More will
be introduced as fast as raw material
and spinning equipment can be pro-
cured.
The League of Nations has planted
the largest mulberry tree orchard OF
the world, with the view to providing
the refugees with silk industry. Other
work is being introduced for both
women and children.
y \ X y
While Gen. Pangalos has been a
soldier all of his life and owes his
present power directly to his control
over the military forces, rather than
to his experience and proved ability
as a statesman, none has questioned
his patriotism and his desire to de-
velop Grecian prosperity. He is not
accused of personal ambition Of con
quest or of theoretical visions of ele.
waiting the proletariat.
The success of Pangalos, the first
elected President of the new Republic
of Greece, will mark a new chapter in
history.
tCopyy4xht. 1926. hy paul Y. ColhnnA