Evening star., 1935-10-13

- comeDacR OF dIlotlltl Ireek
King.
Il George, already once-de-
posed son of the late twice-dethroned
King Constantine. is awaiting the call
to remount the throne he occupied for
a tragically brief period back in 1928
after his aging father had been exiled
for the second and last time.
The odds are all in favor of ex-King
George obtaining an imposing major
ity in the plebiscite set for November
3. He has specified that so per cent
vote in his favor would be considered
as justification for re-establishing the
monarchy. 1t is possible that he may
return in advance of the date, at the
invitation of Parliament Since the
Venizelists and many Republicans ab-
stained from participation in the last
elections that body, which is not at all
representative of the country, is about
95 per cent Royalist at the moment.
Its leaders-and the cabinet. which
also is monarchist-proposes to have
George back in Greece several days
before the voting SO as to capitalize
upon the popular enthusiasm which
would be stimulated by the Royalists.
In which event the invitation-as in
the case Of Constantine'S return Is
years ago-would be unanimous.
Political Pendulum Swings Back.
The political pendulum in Greece
has swung back just as it did another
Autumn in 1920 By majority which
significantly was larger than the total
number of legal voters in the entire
nation, Constantine was recalled from
his retreat in Lucerne, Switzerland.
In December. 1920. he re-entered
Athens from which he had been
driven by Eleutherius VenizeloS and
his Franco-Briitsh supporters. The
Greek populace went wild with joy;
Athens was en- fete for a fortnight;
from the historic Acropolis to the sum-
NIT of the sacred Lykabetis hysteric
torch-bearerS paraded mingling reh-
gious ferver with political emotion
aliSm.
Greek history is repeating itself in
the pre-plebiscite campaign now being
~aged. Royalists, the dominant fac
troll the cabinet and police and appear
to be having things much their own
way; their wave is at its crest. For
mer King Georges supporters own the
ballot boxes. In the plebiscite. barring
an unexpected coup d'etat, victory for
them is a foregone conclusion. But
1t must not be forgotten that politi-
cally the Greeks are a sentimental and
volatile people; they also are exceed
ingly capricious and unreliable Yes
terday Venizelist, today Monarchist,
tomorrow they may be Republican
again.
Tables Quickly Reversed.
After the Greeks recalled Constan-
tine and Sophia in 1920 the writer &C
companied the royal family from
Switzerland to Athens. For a few
months the people are enthusiastic
cally and madly loyal to their newly
recovered sovereigns. Pictures of Con-
stantine, hidden away in cellar and
garret since his abdication, appeared
spontaneously everywhere; those of
Venizelos and other republicans dis
appeared overnight from clubs. cafes
and public places. The Constantine
song, as stirring as the French Mar
seillaise," the Fascist "Giovenezza" or
the Nazi Horst Wesel," resounded
over the land. Women, children,
youths and old men joined whole
heartedly in the national jamboree
All they needed was an excuse to cele-
brate and the religious holidays de-
creed by the Orthodox Church and the
millions of drachmaS spent by reha-
bilitated monarchists and the late
Mrs. William B. Leeds, widow of the
American tin-plate king, who had be-
come sister, r-in-law Of Constantine
by marriage. furnished that excuse.
But within month the picture had
changed. Motoring from Athens to
Daphne with several members of the
Athenian municipal council, my car
passed crowds of cheering peasants
trudging along the dusty road. Pa
triotically the municipal councillors
arose and proclaimed the return of
Constantine as the peasants screamed,
"zito Konstantino-Hai Constantine!"
But Immediately thereafter one of the
councillors turned to me and said,
soto voce: "Kato Konstantino
with Constantine!" Then he added:
Come back in six months and you
will write another story!"
Constantine Again on Way Out.
Before the half yeal had passed
Constantine was again On his way out,
dlscredited and discouraged. The army
and people had turned against him
because of his military reverses in
Asia Minor; the ex-allies had de-
serted him and Italy and France were
actually helping Mustafa Kemal. Be-
fore the end of 1922 Constantine's star
had definitely and irrevocably set
That the Greeks will repeat their
1920. plebiscite vote and restore the
monarchy is a certainty. But it is
equally safe to predict that King
George will not last long if he is over
haSty in needing the call. Indications
now are that he can hardly wait to
get back. Greece today is much the
same, in internal politics, as are Spain
and Portugal. After overthrowing their
monarchs the Spaniards and Portu-
guese found difficulties in establish
ing political regimes better than those
they had scrapped. Lisbon was forced
to turn to a mild dictatorship under
Gen. Carmona and Premier Salazar;
Spain has fallen under the sway of
Catholic-agrarian reactionarieS who
would like to, if they dared, restore
King Alfonso to the throne. Greece
has run the gamut several times since
the World War. 1t was monarchist,
then republican, then monarchist
again and once more republican. Now
it is returning to what may be a
constitutional monarchy"
The anti-Royalist element. however,
Is so strong in Greece that it will re-
main an extremely dangerous hazard
for any government for long time to
come. 1t may not be able to prevent
Georges return but it probably can