The Dominion SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1917. A PROTEGE OF THE KAISER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3082, 12 May 1917, Page 8

The Dominion SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1917. A PROTEGE OF THE KAISER

• Heading between the lines of Mr. Bonar. Law's reference yesterday to the condition of affairs in Greece, it is obvious that King Oonstantine cotinucs to give cause for anxiety. The only l reason apparently why lie is not deposod is that the Allies have their hands quito lull enough at Salonika without participating in a Greek revolution to overthrow the existing monarchy and place M. Venizelos in command.' It is incredible that the suggestion put forward by Mh. Dillon, and so flatly contradicted by Mr. Bonab Law, that Britain had been sheltering King Constantine has tho slightest foundation in fact. King Constantine is the solo reigning monarch out of Germany who was a pupil of the Kaiser, and who remains his moro or less willing protege. Constantine is said to bo a mental weakling, and to that unfortunate circumstanco is no doubt due the Kaiser's ascendancy over him, as over a section of the Greek population. Tho Kaiser has been ablo to render tho Greek King inestimable services in the quito recent past, services which Constantine would have repaid—as tho Kaiser believed ho would—but for tho patriotisrn of M. Venizelos and the intervention of the Entente Powers. Prussianism among nations seems to be comparable to certain, diseases which afflict humanity. In'tho latter case, while the strong escape, /; the physically weak fall easy victims. So with Prussianism. Only governments thai wore weak, decadent, and corrupt, succumbed to the vicious and immoral influences which emanated from Berlin. Austria-Hungary, for example, • the Kaiser's chief ally, during tho past decade has frequently appeared to ■ have reached the point of imminent disruption. Only the presence of tho aged Francis Joseph, many close observers believed, kept tho crumbling Empire intact. But tho late Emperor was never more than a feeble ruler at the best, and he had for long hopelessly failed to control the divergent, ever-warring elements within and without the Ministerial councils of both Austria and Hungary. In the Dual Monarchy Prussianism had for many years an eminently suitable sphere for its malign operations. Turkey,' as well, the Kaiser was quick to recognise, was not sufficiently healthful to resist the Hohenzollcrn contagion. _ Tho historic maladies of the "Sick Man of Europe" merely assumed a fresh and more virulent form through the agency of the Kaiser and of the Prussian plotters who 'represented him in Constantinople. If not the Sultan himself, tho clique of Enver Bey—which apparently wields supreme power within Turkey, after the Germans—in no long time became thoroughly Prussianised. Then there followed King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, tho selfstyled Tsar of the Balkans. Ferdinand was-trained for "kingcraft," principally at a decadent court, and he is as treacherous and as unscrupulous as the Kaiser. Constantine's character was delineated' the other day by Sir William M. B.amsay, the. distinguished archaeologist and traveller, whose researches in Asia Minor and in' Greece led to his frequent reception by the lalo King George of Greece. Writing iu_ Land and Water, this keen-witted, clearvisionod Scot, in terms plain and far from courtly, vividly describes the discredited monarch. "The present writer," he says, "lui.s watched King Constantine for a period of thirty-five years, and has seen him grow up and develop. At the timo of the first Greco-Turkish War, in 1896, be was a young man of little ability, inadequate education, empty, and selfish, who had not been brought- up_ to recognise and to make any sacrifice for the duties of his position. His father was goodnatured, kindly, easy-going, but-not well suited to impress great ideas on his son. Tho war against Turkey came to test the Crown Prince, and he was shown to be not merely

selfish but also cowardly." Sir William Ramsay states that he remembers well the explosion of indignation against the Prince personally which his miserable failures and he considers that it was a. right instinct which led the Greek people to protest against their destiny being allowed to pass "under the control of such ah empty, incompetent, and selfish individual." So unpopular did Constantine become that, it, was necessary to send him away for a, time into a sort of genteel exile. He was dispatched to Germany. The Kaiser and his wily entourage were fully alive to the future value to them of the brainless,' but' conceited, Prince, and joyfully they took in the task of his education and training. Precisely what they aimod at was aohieved. Constantine seemed to bo hypnotised no less by Teutonic diplomacy than by Teutonic militarism. He became as German in spirit as any war lord who ever swaggered through the streets of Berlin. In duo time he had the reward of receiving in marriage the sister of tho Kaiser. He learned something about the movement of soldiers in the field and a little about the principles of modern war. But he learned, also, how to conceal his intentions under a mask of bonhomie, and to prepare for wielding, in time, tho powers of an autocrat King in Greece. The Crown Prince's rapid absorption of Prussianism brought, as may be surmised, immenso satisfaction to the schemers at Berlin. They looked upon tho future King of tho Hellenes as the reliable ally, and the safe tool, of Germany: as one over whom the Kaiser would exorcise complete and unquestioned authority. ■■ But there wore still obstacles in the way. Constantine might be flattered, fooled to the top of his bont, in Berlin, but in Greece his name was still the subject of anathema. The Kaisee evidently applied his mind to tho task of winning the goodwill of the Greek people on behalf of his promissing protege, hopeless though that task would havo appeared to any one less unscrupulous than the weird [ potentate of Potsdam. The plot he devised stands as a characteristic example of Prussian perfidy. The Kaiser, in short, to advantage Constantine of Greece, decided to betray Feedinand of Bulgaria. When the second Balkan War broke out, the Bulgarian army, it will be remembered, made a sudden and obviously treacherous attack upon the forces of Ferdinand's former allies. The assault was made at a point which Ferdinand had been informed was the weakest in the whole line of defence. But, to the dismay of the Bulgarian commander, he found the Greek army there, under the Crown Prince, entrenched, with many guns, fully prepared to meet tho attack. Victory lay with tho Greeks, and Constantine obtained all the credit and honour for what was believed to be his brilliant strategy and his magnificent coun-ter-attack. The truth is stated to be that the whplo plan of the Bulgarian campaign was drawn up at Vienna and Berlin, and that_ tho Kaiser, while posing as the friend of Ferdinand, communicated every agreed-upon movement of the Bulgarian troops to Constantine, and instructed him how to most effectively cope with "the unexpected and treacherous attack." Constantine, as the result of tho success of tho Greek troops, immediately roso to undreamt of heights of popularity. He, it was declared, was the Emperor destined to lead tho armies of Greece into Constantinople for tho final undoing of the Turks. Despite his Prussianism and his one victory—gained by infamy— King Constantine remains very much to-day the Constantine so graphically depicted by Sir William Ramsay. He is still in tho hands of his German advisers, and at any moment may attempt a trcachorous blow against tho Ames if he is permitted the freedom which be at present appears to enjoy. The conspiracy to assassinate M. VeniZF,i,OS recorded to-day may lead to a crisis. Tho troops under tho control of tho great Greek statesman now constitute a powerful force; his friends and supporters number at least half the population; tho whole nation is suffering hardship, and is faced with still more drastic loss through tho perfidy of Kino Constantino The deposition oi Jving Constantine by his own subjects may therefore become an accomplishedfact ere -long, though, as pointed out bv Mr. Bonar Law, the process: may occasion embarrassments which it is at present desired to avoid.