REVOLT IN GREECE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 82, 5 March 1935, Page 6

REVOLT IN GREECE.

The revolution in Greece, which was planned by supporters of M. Venizelos and General Plastiras in the army and navy, has been accompanied by bitter fighting on the mainland, and a sensational duel betrveen aircraft and the war vessels which the insurgents seized and sailed to Crete, which is under their control. The airmen are stated to have concentrated their attention on the cruiser Averoff and to have obtained direct hits, providing interesting evidence to support the argument that warships may not be a difficult target against bombing aeroplanes. It is interesting to recall that the rebellion on a ship of the Dutch East Indies fleet a while back was quelled in similar manner, but compared with the affair in Greece that was a comic opera revolt. There is bitter enmity between the Premier of Greece and the Venizelist Party. At the beginning of 1933 M. Tsaldaris, the Leader of the Popular Party, had a following of 96, being opposed by 102 Venizelists, while members of other parties numbered 52. By agreeing to pay a proportion of interest due on foreign bonds and on a loan to the United States, and introducing changes in the army designed, the Venizelists said, to facilitate the establishment of a military dictatorship, and to restore the monarchy—M. Venizelos’s chief fear —the Ministry fell after a brief period in office. The wide distribution of strength between the parties did not facilitate the task before President Zaimis of negotiating for a new Cabinet, but M. Tsaldaris ended an anxious controversy by unreservedly recognising the Republic and closing the breach which divided the people into Republicans and Monarchists. The Military League, which was formed ostensibly to safeguard the Republic, lost the reason for its existence and was dissolved. Political stability has not, however, been the happy outcome expected of the closing of the breach, and it is to be presumed that fear of the monarchy’s restoration has again developed. General Plastiras, who rose from the ranks to high command, and became the stormy petrel of Greece, leading the revolutionary Government of 1923, has been, from all accounts, the influence behind the revolt, but his former officers were suspect for some time by the Government, while the General himself is said to have visited the frontier only to become convinced that the preparations were insufficient. This view has been borne out by the tragic events of the week-end on the mainland, though the situation is still grave in Crete. M. Venizelos has associated himself with the revolution ; former Premiers and members of the Opposition, and officers belong to the Venizelist faction have been arrested for courtmartial. It seems a pity that Greece’s best known statesmen should not only l>e implicated but should openly support so grave an affair.