Evening star., 1928-08-02

A few days ago a quiet, unasSuming
man, wearing the black skullcap ana
gold spectacles of the European scholar,
seated himself at the head OF the coun-
ell table In the Bureau Polite at
Athens and called a meeting OF the
cabinet to order. For the fifth time in
his eventful career, Eleutherios Veni-
zeloS became prime minister OF Greece,
an event of more than usual slgnln-
canoe, for VeniZelos Is the first Oh the
war premiers repudiated by their own
people after the signature OF the peace
treaties to stage a comeback. VIII
his government be sustained by the new
elections to Parliament next August ID?
The son of a small merchant OF Crete,
educated for the bar, Venizelos early in
life forsook the prosaic career of a
small-town lawyer for the more active
and adventurous role of revolutionary
politician. Crete. in common with
much of the Near East, was in the
closing days of the last century still
under the domination Of the Turks.
In 1910 Venizelos was called to
Greece, and became for the first time
its prime minister. From that time
until his defeat In the elections OF 1890
his history Is the history of Greece. for
his hand guided that country through
the vicissitudes of the Balkan wars or
1912 and 1913 and finally steered 1t into
the allied camp during the Great War.
At the peace council table In Paris
Venizelos welded an influence vastly
greater than the size and Importance OF
his country warranted, and was gen.
orally conceded to be one Of the master
minds of that assemblage of great and
near-great President Wilson esteemed
ank De a 4
| ing pronounced him the greatest single
figure produced by the war. Certainly
he secured for Greece all that country
had a right TO expect and even more !;
| for he obtained in the ill-fated treaty
Of Sevres control of all territory where
the Greek race ,predominated.
Il y
Two years spent away from Greece,
however, In those peace negotiations.
had weakened VenizeloS at home, and
during his absence the followers of King
Constantine, who was driven from the
throne and exiled in 1917 by the allied
powers, had undermined VeniZelos'
standing with the people. In this they
were greatly aided by the maladminis-
tration of some of the ministers whom
Venizelos had left In charge during his
two years absence.
Prior to the Great War, Greece had
fought two wars In the Balkans, and
many of her soldiers had been under
arms continuously for nearly 10 years.
Venizelos returned To Athens In Mid
summer, 1920, to receive the acclaim OF
the populace. A great celebration was
| arranged In the stadium. where. In the
presence OF 100, 900 people. VeniZelos sat
| beside Alexander, the boy King. second
- No, In
placed upon the throne after the latter's
exile In 1917.
After the celebration elections we're
proclaimed, VenIzelos desiring to have
| the approval OF the people for his pol
| icy. But for tragic event there is
| little doubt the elections would have
| resulted In favorable majority for the
war premier. In spite Of the opposition
| to his policy caused by the continued
mobilization OF the army.
| King Alexander a man of charming
but retiring personality, had gradually
J won the hearts Of large portion Of the
people. and his cooperation with Veni.
zeios kept the dynastic question out of
| the campaign. Unfortunately, after the
elections had been proclaimed King
| Alexander was bitten by a pet monkey
and died few days later from septic
poisoning This brought the dynastic
question to the fore, and the supporters
OF King Constantine we're quick to seize
upon the opportunity To make their
campaign not only one for the defeat
| Of Veni2elos. but for the return OF the
| King driven from the country three
years before by the allies, Constantine
was brother -in-law 10 the Kaiser, and
he was considered TO be pro-0erman IN
| consequence.
1t was obvious that King Constantine
could not have been recalled without
| losing for Greece that allied support
which was necessary to the successful
/ enforcement of tho Sevres treaty. II
an understanding with King cnnstan-
tine could not have been effected. the