Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1936. THE GREEK PATRIOT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 94, 20 March 1936, Page 8

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1936. THE GREEK PATRIOT.

The death of M. Yenizelos closes a life in ivlnch insurrection and war were combined with able statesmanship. It has been said of the great Greek patriot that he led more insurrections than any of his contemporaries who sought to attain their ends by viofent action. Since the disastrous revolution of a year ago he had been living in exile, first in Rhodes whither he fled when the Government forces guined the upper hand, and afterwards in Paris where he died. Yet had he chosen he could have returned to ; his native Crete, pardoned by the ’ State under the clemency snown . by the King towards the officers who rose in revolt in March lastBut M. Yenizelos preferred that his remaining years should be spent away from the country which he had served so ably and administered with the distinct ability of the statesman. His record of .service to Greece is most impressive. The liberator of Crete, he formed the Balkan League which brought Turkish aspirations in Macedonia 'to a close. He was in very truth the bitterest enemy of the Turks, and had Bulgaria been other than treacherous the Balkan jellies would have won a more lasting victory in the war of 1912. The conflict of 1914 brought about a crisis in Greek affairs. M. Yenizelos gave his staunch support to the Allied cause, but King Constantine was pro-Ger-man, and in the end the Premier retired from the helm, llis vigorous patriotism and desire that Greece should not enter into an alliance with the Central Powers soon found expression in the formation of a Government at Salonika, and with Constantine’s abdication of the Throne M. i Yenizelos later returned to power in Athens. Greece had now , joined the Allied cause, and throughout the war M. Yenizelos earned the admiration of the Allies for his services. But his enmity of the Turks was to prove his downfall, for his disastrous incursion into Asia Minor after the war ended brought about the Greek debacle by Turkey, and the great statesman lost the confidence of his people. For six years, except for a brief period in 1924, he was in retirement, and in this period he made a remarkable alteration in his outlook, changing his policy of the sword to one of peace. With his return to the "Premiership he negotiated treaties of amity and commerce with neighbouring States, developed the country with loans raised abroad, and helped to establish colonies for the Greek refugees from Asia Minor. His wise measures stabilised Greece internally and established peace with its neighbours. A little more than, three years ago he concluded his last

Prime Ministership, but bis party bitterly resented the growth of opinion in favour of the monarchy being re-established. This found expression in the disastrous rebellion of last year, which brought M. Yenizelos from his retirement in Crete to take a leading part. It was an ill-starred venture which the Government troops quelled with severe losses on both sides. Realising that his life and estate in Crete were forfeit to the State, and that his political power had disappeared for good, M. Yenizelos preferred to spend the remainder of his days abroad. Though he was never again to see his beloved Crete, liis country should not readily forget what it owes to his statesmanship and leadership through most difficult years. His wise discernment was never greater than when he brought Greece into the Allied cause in the Great War.