New Britain herald., 1929-02-14
lS IDEAL PRESIDENT
Pltsa1t IncInbent's Gfl1dhhd
 Hls Also Grok EIocldIe
BY WILLIAM MILLER

BY WILLIAM MILLER
 Associated Press Correspondentl
 Athens. Feb. lt x-In Admiral Paul Coundourtotis, whose granl- Father was president of Greece just
 century ago. modern Greece has kn ideal chief executive for the post which corresponds more to the French president than to the Ameri- ean.
 The holder of the highest office h Greece has little power. and an kmbitious man would rather b. premier than president. For that lnd other reasons due to the lack bf an aristocracy and the lack of influence of an unpolitic1 pluto kracy.. one of the problems. of the areek republic is to find suitable hen for the presidency.
 Even in democratic Greece there
 still halo. round the descend- [nts of the heroes of the war of Independence. which ended only 0s years ago this year. Among hose heroeA the Coundouriotai of he nautical island' of Hydra. where the family. originally of AL Panian extraction. has been settled tnce about 171s, were prominent The present presidents grandfather. Feorge. was president of Greece in s24. exactly q century before tho randson became president in 1s2l.
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 A distinguished sailor who had vice forced the Turkish fleet to re- reat inside the Dardanelles during he first Balkan war of 1919. the resent president was several times hinister of marine, and even royal Pts had nothing against him. aI- hough he was one of the Venizelist Fiumvirate with M. Venizelos and he late General Bangles at salonika h 19l6.
 Before becoming president he had vice temporarily acted as regent pr few days in 1920 after the cath of King Alexander, and for pur months in 1s23-24 after the eposition of King George II. When then ceased to be regent. he be- anne president. and has remained resident ever since, except for an nterval of five months in 1926. when eneral Pangalos stepped into his lace.
 Idol of Greek Philosopher
 HA is m example of the kind of han whom an ancient Greek Philosopher thought should be made D accept office-a man who Ao1a ot wish to accept it. For "The kdmiral". as his friends call him. is appier in his family house over- poking the little harbor of Hydra han in governmental house" at 1 thena the former palace. f1fSe of he heir-apparent Constantine. and hen of the second third and fourth l ings of the. Giucksburgh dvnasty-- pr the "ola palace" of George. I l as been oSt of repair, since the re of 1910.
 The president has never actually lived" in government-ho he kes it merely as his official resi- |ence. eating and sleeping in his ht opposite the Russian church. nd in the house which he has built ear the stadium for his wife and mself. his son and his sons wife |ith his little grandson. "Paviaki". ftween that abode and his beloved fydra he alternates.
 Hale and Hearty at II The president Ia in his T4th year, ht he is hale and hearty. Speak (g only Greek and Albanian, he is
 man of action rather than an Fator. He saw much Of the world ] his sa'lor-dava. and visited the frited Ststes. where he was re- lived by President Mckinley. He hs few personal enemies. but. like ost importart European public len. he has been the victim Of at. |mpted sssosainatton. once in 1921, bee in 1927. On both occasions he bowed the same ronlneaa which he -p'aved at the battle of Lem~os. |hen he entered irto action hold . the cross in hia' hand.
 H's oo'v e~tevnal sign nf rank is ke guard oV Ev-nroi in. Fustanrel- |s outside his o~'c'al re.'dence- le orlv other place wh'ch they boyd h the ministry of war fd the E"zonoN on the hov of the fe~'d"rf'al rrotor car. He often |e'hs about the avenues near the te.idArt'al abode. ard stoppine |e"""nt'v [" sreak to arnna'rta-~es
 's not e+'n"ette for h'm to dine ,t et locations hut often horore tfyafe houses with his prosenrA