Evening star., 1935-10-27

Greece will not legally become mon
archv again until after next Sunday.
On that day plebiscite-the Greeks
have a word for twill invite George
formally to reascend the throne. Al
though he spoke disparagingly of the
inter when it was placed in his hand
in 1922 and wept when it was snatched
from him IS months later. George
evidently has altered his views about
being a King.
Wants Only so Per Cent Recall.
Il will return to Greece if go per
cent of the people vote for my recall
in the plebiscite." he announced re-
Gently. George has been modest-his
father got half as many votes as
unanimity would have provided.
That's why the Greeks call it pie
biscite"
But while the odds are in favor OF
George blazing the path back for
broken Kings-Otto of Austria or
Hungary lit doesn't much matter
which crown he gets so long as he
acquires one) and former King AL
fonso Of Spain are also on their way
back-the chances are even that he
will not remain long. His father
lasted little more than a year in
the affections of the tickle Athenians
and then passed into oblivion.
For the moment Greece, apparently,
is all for the monarchy. The popu-
lace was that way-unanimouslyC Con-
Stantinist-15 years ago. Recalled in
November, 1920. Constantine returned
in December to be greeted Historically
by frenzied populace. For a fort
night Athens and the provinces. too,
were mad with joy. The capital, for
longer period, was en- fete; from the
ancient Acropolis to the sacred sum-
NIT of Lcabetis torchbearers paraded,
mingling religious fervor with politi-
cal emotionalism.
George Must Watch Step.
That the Greeks will repeat their
1920 pref -Constantinist vote in the
plebiscite is almost certainty But
it is equally safe to predict that George
will not last long if he is overhasty
in needing the call. The anti-royalist
element is so strong in Greece that
it should be able to unhorse King
George almost at will. The army, re-
built by Venizelos, is fundamentally
republican. So are the million and a
half Anatolian Greek refugees whom
the Venizelists established in Mace
donia, Thrace and provincial Greece.
Another element which will cause
the monarchists no end of trouble, if
they seek to take over control too
quickly and completely, is the Com
munist group. In Greece, as in Spain,
where the syndicalists and anarchists
are powerful, the Communists in
Athens, Kavalla, Salonika and the
seaport cities have honeycombed the
labor movement with their political
cells. In the last elections they polled
more than IL per cent of the vote.
They also work closely with the Mace
DOMAIN -Thracian Greeks, who are out
and-out radicals.
The recent growth of royaliSt Senti-
ment in Greece is more apparent than
real. 1t is due more to the lack of
leadership among the republicans than
to the strength of the monarchists.
Eleutherius Venizelos, past 10, has
lost his grip. Gen. Pangalos, veteran
republican stormy petrol of the army,
is in exile. Sir Basil zaharoff, whose
millions have financed so many Bal
kan wars and Greek revolutions, is
a doddering ana broken old man,
basking in the sunshine of the French
Riviera. The dreams he sought to
translate into reality with his fabulous
wealth have vanished; the Spanish
woman who provided the one great
romance of his adventurous life is
dead. The Casino at Monte Carlo
which amused him after the guns had