FAMOUS STATESMAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 28, 3 February 1941, Page 9

FAMOUS STATESMAN

LATE GREEK LEADER

CHAMPION OF DEMOCRACY

MEMORIAL SERVICE

"General Metaxas's claim to greatness lies in the fact that, having had the powers of a dictator thrust upon him, he was willing to give constitutional rights and.freedom back again to the people, thus binding together the two fundamental principles of democracy, freedom and order," said the Yen. Archdeacon Bullock in his address during the memorial service for General- Metaxas, Prime Minister of Greece, held at St. Peter's Church last evening. The Government was represented by the Minister of. Finance (Mr.. Nash), who ■ read . the first Lesson. The second Lesson was .read, by the Consul for Greece (Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon). Others ■ present included Majot-General Sir John Duigan. (representing the Army), Mr. G. E. Boyd Shannon, of the United Kingdom High Commissioner's. Office (representing Sir Harry Batterbee)., Mr. R. English (Consul for the U.S.A.), Dr.-.W.. A. Riddell (High Commissioner for Canada), and Mrs. Schmid (wife of the Swiss Consul). History had few examples of famous soldiers becoming famous statesmen, but General.Metaxas had achieved this because of his,firm in and application pf the fundamental principles of democracy, Archdeacon Bullock £aid. When he became Prime Minister and virtual dictator of Greece the general's first act to bring about constitutional order had been the restoration of the monarchy. This Had been followed by great social reforms and increased building of schools and hospitals. Among the trade unions of his own country he was regarded as the workmen's friend. Freedom and order were interwoven into the very texture of human existence—the movement of the/ stars, tlie seasons, the. harvests, birth and death, the flow and.ebb of the tides. All these spoke to us of that necessary freedom and order without which all, human government would fail.' Present-day Europe knew what interference with * those principles .of true government meant. PRINCIPLES FOUiGHT FOR. Order and freedom should be the ' watchwords of all democratic life, and he felt he could Say that they were the. two principles on which the British Empire, with all its faults and shortcomings, had been built, and it was for those same principles that they were now fighting alongside their Greek allies. "When final victory came, those principles would again be the basis of human relationship, for they were the teachings of the Creator. Christ had come on earth to give mankind free- ' dom and order, "and what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." . During his address Archdeacon Bullock spoke of other ties that bound the British and Greek peoples, one of which was in their spiritual outlook. Though there was not yet full communion between, the Church of England and the Greek Orthodox Church, no stone was -bepbng. left unturned to make that communion and unity complete. 'During the service a psalm and hymns specially chosen for the occasion were sung. During the singing of the hymn after the address, the Greek flagb was.placed on the altar. Rites of the .6reek- -Orthodox Church were introduced arid tapers were lit, this act being.''" symbolic of eternal life. The words "Kyrie. Eleibon" were also chanted and the funeral, march was played, b Flags were flown half-mast on all ... Goverhrnent buildings throughout the » Dominion as a mark of.respect to the late General Metaxas,