Evening star., 1927-11-01
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The President of Greece. Admiral
Paul Koundouriotis, was shot last Sun
day by would-be assassin, who is re-
ported to be a waiter. of no political
significance, but with Communistic
associations. He il a Greek, named
Zafiolos Goussios. His confession con.
tains the plea that as the state had
given him no support during his non
employment. he wished to avenge that
wrong" by attacking the state. He
believed that that was true logic.
From a Socialistic standpoint, the
whole people socialistically should
work for the State, which, in turn,
must take care of all individuals.
Therefore, according to his reasoning,
the state lowed" him a living, which
it was not giving, SO he would muir
der the head of the state.
X X
There is no international compiled
ton in the attack; there is no shadow
Of another Balkan war" even though
there have been rumblings in recent
weeks of trouble between Greece
and Macedonia" over border disputes.
Armed men have been posing as Mace
donian heroes and patriots. defending
their country against encroachments.
to the United States, Mr.. Simopoulos,
there is no truth in the pretense of
defense of Macedonia by MACE
domains" for the simple reason that
for thousands of years (since Alexan-
der the Great there never has been
political Macedonia. 1t ceased 10 be
an Independent country when Rome
conquered it, in 1853 &c. Yet the
peace Of the Balkans habitually hinges
on Macedonia.
During the first eight centuries Of
the Christian era Macedonia became
peopled by Slavonic races. From the
ninth TO the eleventh century it was
part of the Bulgarian empire, then
for century part of Servia, until, in
1889, 1t was conquered by Turkey.
Bulgarians living in Turkish Mace.
donia fOmented frequent revolts, and
after 1873 the powers of Europe al the
Congress of Berlin gave assistance to
Macedonian Christians in protecting
their rights and safety. But Turkey
still held sovereignty. In 1912 Greece,
Bulgaria. Montenegro and Servia
united in war against Turkey, by
which Macedonia was freed from
Turkish rule, but then within a month
after the end OF that war Greece and
Bulgaria went to war over the division
or the spoils. Later Servia, Rumania
and Turkey allied with Greece In the
fight against Bulgaria. The result of
that war gave to Greece part Of Mace
donia. Epirus and Thrace and all OF
Thessaly and certain islands. This
doubled the territory and ropulation
Of Greece. but it left her with hor-
nets nest in Grecian Macedonia.
where there were hundreds Of thou.
sands Of Bulgarian residents hating
Greece.
1t Is sometimes forgotten that the
tremendous exchange of peoples be-
tween Greece and Turkey, in 1922,
had been preceded on a smaller scale
by similar. though voluntary, ex-
change Of peoples between Bulgaria
and Greece in 1913. In that repatria.
ton 10000 Greeks living in that part
OF Macedonia assigned to Bulgaria
sought refuge In Greece and in the
following May U91D 800. 900 other
Greeks. living in Eastern Thrace, mi.
grated en- masse to their home land
This movement became so important
that it resulted in the creation of a
| ministry Of assistance, and served the
very useful purpose Of teaching the
Greeks how to meet the enormous
| 1922 influx of 100000 Greeks from
Asia Minor after the disaster of the
Greek invasion of Turkey.
| Through the action of the Supreme
| Council Of Versailles. 1919. in award,
| ing to Greece a mandate over the
"City Of Smyrna and it's environs. t"
| the Greeks were tempted into that
disastrous invasion OF Turkey to ex-
| tend what was interpreted as zen.
virons" OF Smyrna. Defeated by the
Turks, the outcome was an agree
ment, led by the League Of Nations.
| that all Greeks should get out of Tur.
key and all Turks get out of Greece.
SO Greece received from Turkey
400. 900 Greeks" some of whose
J ancestors had lived in Turkey for
many centuries. Greece lost about