Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1931. SWORD TO PLOUGHSHARE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 199, 24 July 1931, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1931. SWORD TO PLOUGHSHARE.

The visit to England last week of M. Venizelos, Premier of Greece, brings into prominence for the moment a man wko~ lias been the leading- figure in Balkan politics over a long period of years. But the man who for fifty years expounded the doctrine of the sword is to-day a staunch advocate for peace in consolidatingGreece’s position among the nations of Europe. This is one of the remarkable changes in world politics that seem to pass almost without notice. It has been written of him that he has led more insurrections than any other living man, yet even with his most inveterate enemy, the Turk, he is on a friendly footing, and they no longer arouse his fiery spirit- It was his great desire to oust the Turk that dictated his policy during- the Balkan Wars, and later led him to join the Allied forces in the Great War. It was evident also in the disastrous Asia Minoroffensive that brought about his retirement from the helm of Greek politics for six years, except for a brief period in 1924. It was during this period, says _ a commentator, that the essential re-crystallisation of his policy took place, and the man of wars and revolutions became the man of compromise and treaties who, to-day, is leading Greece into still waters. Within five months of his return to power in July, 1928, private interest rates and the price of bread had fallen and the Greek Budget, for the first time, balanced, says the writer. Faced with the superhuman task of finding places in Greece for more than a million refugees from Asia Minor, he planted colonies to consolidate the northern frontier, organised new industries, and by draining and irrigation works established the repatriated Greeks on the land. ’ In this way, M. 'Venizelos “converted the refugee mob from a liability into an asset.” Foreign gold has been mostly instrumental in the Premier’s personal success- The tripartite loan of 1928, under the approval of the League of Nations, was heavily over-subscribed, and with the financial resources at his command M. Venizelos was in a favourable position to commence the -work of rehabilitation. His productive loan of the same year for reclamation works, agricultural credits and road building was well received by investors because of its advantageous terms and the fact that the Premier was in power to administer it. M. Venizelos lost no time in translating his new policy into deeds. In October, following a visit to the capitals of Europe and Great Britain, he signed a treaty of peace and arbitration with Italy, and immediately afterwards concluded a commercial and peace treaty with Yugo-Slavia. Negotiations with Turkey and Russia have not

been resultless, but Bulgaria has not responded to the new Greek policy. M. Venizelos maintains his traditional policy of friendship with Britain and France, and has widened it to include other nations of Europe. “To-day,” he has stated, “we want to enter into no new wars. Consequently, we have no new allies, Instead, we have friends-” According to the commentator referred to M. Venizelos plans to bring about a union of the Balkan States, and “thus end the disgraceful • squabblingwhich has ruined the peninsula’s good name since the Porte grew too weak to keep order. Incidentally, this policy will aid in maintaining the status quo,” fie adds. M. Venizelos argues that a Union of Balkan, States can neither give offence nor injure any Power", and in his dream, it is stated, there is some spark of the original fire that consumed him until he had united all Greece. A tranquil and industrious Balkans being paramount to Greece’s security, M. Venizelos is “simply taking the next - logical step in his long career as he advances from wars to his advocacy of closer ties and warmer friendships. For the reason that every recent European war has originated in the Balkans, we should look with interest upon the one Balkan statesman Avho pleads for -peace after having professed the* doctrine of the sword for fifty years,” the writer concludes.