Evening star., 1933-06-07
|ASSASS|N'S SHOTS
MISS VEN|zELOS
Wife of Former Premier of
Greece GraveIy Injured
by Bullets.
BY the Associated Press.

ATHENS, Greece, June 7.-An at
tempt on the life of Eleutherios
Venizelos, who has been premier of
Greece eight times since 1910, deeply
stirred this little republic today.
The 69-year-old veteran statesman
narrowly escaped death at the hands
of a gunman, who fired from an auto
mobile at the motor car in which M.
and Nine. Venizelos were travelling
from Amaroussis to Athens late last
night
The assailant's shots killed personal
guard accompanying the former premier
and struck Nine Venizelos, who suffered
four serious wounds in the lungs and
stomach.
Her condition today was grave. The
driver of the Venizelos machine was cut
by glass from broken car window
Otherwise unhurt, but in great pain,
the chauffeur devotedly stayed at the
wheel, and drove the travellers to their
destination
The gunman, whose motive was not
determined, escaped.
Nine. VeniZelos, the second wife of
the statesman, is the daughter of a
wealthy Anglo-Greek resident of Schlizzi.
They were married in London in 1921.
Orders Investigation.
Premier Panayoti Tsaldaris expressed
regret and horror at the attack and i'm
mediately issued orders for a thorough
investigation and search for the gun
man.
He sent representative to M. and
Nine. Venizelos to convey the regrets
of the government
Measures already have been taken"
the premier said in an interview. land
give every assurance of the speedy
discovery and arrest of the perpetrators
OF the dastardly outrage.
Il am sure the most exemplary pun
ishment will be meted out to the cul-
pritS. My horror and indignation are
equally aroused by this abominable at
tempt, which, fortunately, did not en-
tirely succeed"
Nine. Venizelos was said to be pro-
crossing satisfactorily from her injuries
later today
Police were standing by for any event.
uality and the garrison was confined to
the barracks. Meetings and gatherings
OF all kinds pere prohibited.
M. Venizelos, describing the assassi-
nation attempt, said:
Cut Off Escort.
my wife and were returning to
Athens when / saw a green seVen-paS-
senger car. The assassins allowed my
Car to pass, then placing themselves be-
tween my car and the escort, began
firing.
Remembering the attempt on my
life at French railway station, took
my wife in my arms and we both
c1ouched on the floor of the automo-
bile. My bodyguad ordered my chauf-
feur to pull up, rightly think but i'm
mediately afterward he started up
again.
Meanwhile the assassins ceased firing.
I ordered the car to dash full speed
toward Athens. The assassins by this
time had reloaded and kept firing at us
for 3 miles
"Au the time I kept asking my wife
whether she had been hit, but she re-
piled in the negative.
When the firing recommended saw
blood and understood Nine Venizelos
had been wounded We passed three
passenger busses, but they took no no
tice Of our plight, preferring to get out
of the range of the shots.
During this time I urged my chauf-
feur, with cries of Quicker, Gjanni,'
despite his plight-he had been wound
ed-he accelerated the speed and drove
us to the Evanghelismos Hospital"
Defeated in March.
NJ Venizelos was defeated in the
March elections by Tsaldaris, a leader
of the Royalist party who pledged 10y
atty to the republic last Fall Venizelos
had succeeded Tsaldaris as premier
January IT, ten weeks after relinquish-
ing the post so that Tsaldaris might
form coalition government.
On the basis of Tsaldaris pledge of
allegiance, Venizelos agreed to tolerate
the regime of his opponents, who had
slim majority.
M. Venizelos is known as an enemy
of royalty-the name "the Modern
Ulysses" having been given him for his
50-year fight for democracy. President
Wilson called him one of the greatest
statesmen in Europe.
Recalls Roosevelt Attack.
The attempt on Venizelos life has
counterparts in several recent attempts
to assassinate political figures, one of
which was the attack on President
Roosevelt in Miami, February II.
A year ago the premier of Japan. Ki
Inukai, was killed by the revolver fire
of military terrorists Paul Doumer,
then President of France, died May 7,
1882, from wounds inflicted by an as
sassin's bullets
President Luis NJ Sanchez Cerro of
Peru was assassinated during a parade
of young men in Lima, April 80, 1888.
Other leaders who have been attacked
in the last two years include T. v.
Soong, Chinese statesman; the Emperor
Of Japan; Carmona E. Fragoso Presi-
dent of Portugal, and Sidky Pasha,
Egyptian statesman.