EX-KING CONSTANTINE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18760, 13 January 1923, Page 8

EX-KING CONSTANTINE.

It was said of Constantine, ex-King of Greece, whose death is announced by cable, that he had two chances. He sacrificed them both. The first occurred during the Great War. In it he essayed to play a double part. Ho professed his tiffectibn for Britain, while he curried favour with Germany. He assured Germany and Bulgaria of the neutrality of Greece at a time when her treaty engagements clearly required that Greece should assist Serbia. Ho created. difficulties for the Allies when they had established themselves at Salonika, and he acquiesced in, even if he did not instigate, a massacre of French and British marines near Athens after he had assented to their landing. 9 His duplicity and treachery were such that few regrets, beyond those entertained by his favourites iu Greece, were expressed when he was expelled in 1917. Yet another* chance was afforded to him when he was restored., to the monarchy three years later. If he had been wise, it has been suggested, he would have cut the inevitable losses! of Greece and consolidated the rest. He was unwise and failed, and a few months ago he paid the penalty of his short-sightedness when the revolution necessitated his abdication and compelled a second time hia departure from Greece. He has been described as a paltry personage, and it is impossible to deny the accuracy of the description.