THE STRONG HAND IN GREECE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3183, 6 September 1917, Page 5

THE STRONG HAND IN GREECE

STORY OF THE "FINAL CLEAN UP

EXIT CONSTANTINE

The Allies' High Commissioner, M. •Tonhurt, was perfectly courteous, but perfectly plain and unswerving m , tho course of all the negotiations—if they can. be called negotiations—which have recently taken, place nere. He knew his mission, was a. military one, and he took it like a cavalry charge. He encountered great obstacles. A perfervid flood of frightened telegrams poured into tho Allied capitals from wellintentioned but ill-informed sources, declaring that if an attempt was made to remove King- 5 Constantino war and civil war would begin side by side, and Athens be irrigated with Ijlood. Efforts wero made- to restrict our action to the occupation* of Thessaly; a suggestion was made to offer us merely M. Gounaris] General Boupinanis, «:;d Colonel John Metaxas, who would 'have been handed over to us by a. group, a sort of evil parody of the'burghers of Calais. Everything was tried in one way or another to persuade us to agreo again to one of the usual compromises which have all along restricted M. . Venizelos—one does not know why—in order to'uphold uie King—one knows why still less. M. Zaimis, the Premier, in tho course of an interview which took place with M. Jonnart in a French cruiser on Sunday afternoon, received something more than Jin inkling of what would be de- ! manded, but ho was at the same time aware of the strenuous endeavours which were going oh to save tho King. When lie visited the King later they parted as two men not without hope. Shock to the Premier. Athens was restive with the news of i transports cruising in the Gulf of Corinth, but bravado began to die out cf the Germanophile papers, and though four or five hundred Reservists gathered in ono of tlie principal tquarcs of Athens and were harangued by an inflammatory ex-magistrate named Livieratos, they simply, engaged in the defiant chorus of their favourite song—some doggerel about "The Eagle's Son," i.e., the King. They afterwards fell silent, shifted about uneasily, and drifted to their houses. The principal Venizelisis had been advised by the .Allied Legations to leave Athens, and had mostly gone to Syra or villages on the Gulf of Salamis. The i rest of the population sat very late at cafes or walked about, and then, when it was known that the. Reservists had dispersed, went home towards dawn. ■ On the eventful morning of Monday M. Zaimis at 9 o'clock went on board a cruiser, where M. Jnnnart faw him and I old him that his decision was irrevocable, and handed him an ultimatum demanding on behalf of Groat Britain Franco, and Haseia the abdication ol Kin" , Consfantine within 2-1 hours, on tho grounds that ho had violated the Constitution of the country. M. Zaimis left, looking drawn and his eyes fixed. By 11 o'clock he was back in Athens and went straight to the palaco and told the King of his fate. The Ki"i listened wHh ereat calm and Mid to M. Zaimis: "Desire tho Crown Council to be summoned." M. > Zaimis, much distressed, left the roonl allt ' the King retired to his study, where, some minutes after, one of his aides-de-camp found him deep in a chair, "his head bent on his hand, and "very pensive." At 11.30 tho Crown Council began, there being nresent, besides M. ZnimK M. Skouloudin. M. Lf.mbros, M. Dimi-+i-a.koTionlos, M. Gonnaris. M. Stratns, M. Kalojrheropoulns, M. ftallis, and M. Dragoumis—all ex-Premiers. Pro-Germans Staggered. When they were seated tho King read to them the demands of tho Allies. It is difficult to be quite eure of what happened, but it eeems certain that when the King pronounced the fateful words demanding his abdication he turned towards them as for their opinion, and 31. Gounaris (the arch pro-German, politician) half rose and saiiV "Impossible! It is impossible that ." when the King stopped him, raised his hand, and said: "T have decide to.accept." The Council lasted till 2.30, the Ministers insisting on seeing if a way of satisfying the Allies' demands could not bo found without the abdication of the King, but it all ended in their recognising the hopelessness of the situation, and the Council was dismissed by the Kin" , . The demeanour of the Ministers as they camo out showed the throng nf waiting journalists that they liiid heard grave news, but they would not sneak. M. Gonnaris seemed incapable of speaking. _M. Skouloudis, under whose premiership Fort Rupel was handed over to the Bulgarians and the disasters of to-day largely prepared, was pale and shaking, and had to bo assisted into his motor-car. When he reached home ho remained prostrate and trembling for a considerable time. , , , , Meanwhile the Government had had posted before the various newspaper offices a proclamation that the dynasty was not in dangor, and that M. .Tonuart, as .the Allies' representative, wished to see Greece great and powerful and absolutely independent. I watched tht people read ins: this; they eemned bewildered, and not quite clear of its scope.

Queen Overcome. Later a semi-official Fronch leaflet was circulated in the streets saying that if the present crisis passed over quietly the Protecting Powers would raise the bTockade, undertake the rovict.ualiing of tho country, and'carry out other already published promises. This made a deep impression, but by midday the news was spreading in the city that something of great gravity was imminent, and groups began to form in the main streets outside the chief cafes. News of the seizure of the Isthmus of Corinth by French troops, which arrived on top of this was published in heavy characters in the midday papers, and these littlo groups of peoplo grew moro excited, and officers in their summer white drill uniforms and holding the handles of their sabres, raised fheir voices, but, nevertheless, there was always a steady stream of passersby who watched curiously these littlo meetings, and then went their way, unwilling to' bo drawn in, and scenting' danger. In tho palace the King had gono to luncheon with all the members of tho Royal Family, and during the meal would say nothing of his interview. Tifitli tho" general strain upon all present it was almost passed through in silence. Immediately after luncheon he declared that he was to be forced to abdicate, and that his eldest eon must abandon his rights. Tho Queen (whu is tho Kaiser's sister) burst into tears, l'e!!_ on a couch, and spoko no word. Tho King sent for Mile. Konbostavlou, her lady-in-waiting, to tend the . Quoen. The yoifnger princesses were equally overcome.

Tho crown Prince was calm and said little. Prince Alexander, to whom the King.said, "The Allied Powers have let mo choose a successor between you and your brother Paul, and you are (o succeed nio," began to ehed' tears and said it was too much for him and that ho did not want to be loft alone. He kept on repeating this. As the tidings spread those who had intercourse with .the palaco drove up and rushed past distraught sentries into the courtyard, which was filled with a throng of agitated men and sobbing women. One of the church bolls btgan to strike mournful not*;. .Demonstrators repeatedly shouted "Don't go." A deputation was finally admitted and saw Prince Nicholas, who, on the King's behalf, said, "The King bids mo «iy adieu to you his faithful children, but asks you to proceed to no disturbance. The King embraces you and bids you drnin without resentment tho bitter cnp along with him." Towards midnight a group of Reservists, gathered outside tho officers' club, which is not far from tho palace, sent a deputation to the officers and tried to persuade them to some form of action to defend the monarch, but the officers said that they had received instructions from the King himself to bo peaceable and refused. Good-bye io Athens. The morning of tho 12th dawned cloudloss and bluo on the faithful gioup that had watched all' night by tho palace. Tho churches again began to sound sol-

cnm peals, and early in the isorniiijf (lie palaeo was again entirely suvruunded by a demonstrative crowd. "Wo won't kt you go," they shouted. "Wo want our King." The King was expected to Lave departed by midday, but midday approached and all departure seemed impossible. It became evident that some show of forco was to bo made." The destroyers camo into Phalcron Bay and French troops bepm to disembark about two o'clock them and at the Piraeus yimys, while aircraft began to hover over Athens. French troops advanced close to Athens to Syggros prisons, where many Vcnizelists had been intarned, and to tile roof of tho powder magazine, where their comrades 101 l on December 1.

M. Jonnarfc sent tho Government a Note saying that it was desirable that the King's departure should not bo much longer delayed. Jt was not, Uowerer, till 5 p.m. that this took place. A group of soldiers was seen to be making for a small door in the garden wall of the palace. The crowd immediately, shouting, gesticulating, choked tho road into which this door opens opposite the Italian Legation. During tho confusion the King and Queen, Crown Friuce, and Princesses, the new King, and tho rest of the Royal Family caino out into the main entrance of tho palace and began to cross tho tree-bordered road into the royal park which surrounds the old palace. The people about rushed at them crying in a ceaseless refrain. ,r N'o, ro." Somo devoted adherent!) knelt as King Constantino and Queen Sophie crossed the road. The Royal Family, looking miserable and strained, hastened, almost running. Somehow they got into motorcars and speeded away to the palace of Tatoi, northwards of the capital. Thorn the King was told a French destroyer was at his disposal, and it was even announced in French official circles that he and his family had sailed in her. Such was apparently his first intention, but ho asked later if lie could not leave Greece in a Greek vessel. "I am not another Otto," lie said, "to bo abducted into a foreign vessel; I tun iot a prisoner." (Kins Otto was deported from Greece in a British frigate.) Tho final scene of all took place when, the departing King quitted tho mainland of Greece from the little fishing villago of Oropo in his own yacht. He bad been expected to leave at 2 a.m., but four times, the hour of departure was changed. He looked strained and -whito when ho stepped slowly from his motor-car. His bearing was erect and ho gavo no sign of emotion. The younger princesses ■were cryiJis, and the Queen, dressed in black, moved rapidly so as scarcely to be perceived. Some brightly dressed peasant women and a little group kneeling impeded her passage "You must etand back," said tho King rather wanly, aid thoso "were his last audible words. So ends a royal career, foT that lie -will ever roturn'ie doubtful. Tho Queen is understood to have expressed her fears that there will be no return. Tho King was calm and manly during his last days of sovereignty. But if thore is cue judgment to bo passed on King Constautine it is that he brought 'his fate on himself. Ho always considered himself above the Constitution. The day his abdication was announced—this is somewhat of an anti-climax, bnt it. is significant—potatoes fell in prico considorably. Athons is settling down well to tho new regime.

"Great and Free Greece." M. Jonnart, tho High Commissioner of tho Protecting Powers of Greece, in a proclamation to tho GTeek peoplo says: "Greeks! The hour of reconciliation has come. Your destiny is closely associated with that of the Guaranteeing Powers. Your ideals and hopes aro the same. We appeal to your reason and patriotism. To-day the blockade is raised, and all reprisals against Greeks, to whatever part they belong, -will be remorselessly repressed. No breach of public order will be allowed. The property and liberty of ovcrybody will be safeguarded. An era of peace and labour has opened for you. Remember that the Protecting Powers, respectful of tho peoplo, liitvo no intention •whatever to impose a genoral mobilisation on the GTeek people. Long live united, groat, and free Greece!"— Renter.