MONARCH IN EXILE

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1930, Page 11

MONARCH IN EXILE

KING GEORGE OF GREECE. EXPECTING TO RETURN., King George of the Hellenes, who since 11923 has been in exile from his country, and who recently has been staying in a West End hotel'in London,, has made a statement with reference to the persistent rumours of his possible return to the Greek throne.

. The King left Greece—without abdicating—before a plebiscite declared' for a Republic in March, 1924. Since then there has been a Royalist movement for his return, and it has been stated that. he has been urged to go back to Athens. .

The King, a tall, soldierly figure with bronzed, clean-shaven face, speaks excellent English. He said lately:—“My conviction has never wavered that, sooner or later, my people will call me .back as their constitutional Sovereign. My departure was the aftermath of the painful events and internal trouble the country had gone through in the past. It was in no wise the result of a decision duly considered or endorsed by the free will of my people. Yet earnest appeals kept coming from Greece that I should break silence. I preferred to wait and give time to public opinion in Greece to take definite shape. “The Greek people, like every other people of long-standing tradition, intuitively feel as a whole the dire need of finding shelter behind a constitutional canopy such as the British Constitution has'given proof of to the world. My return to Greece will not carry predominance for any single political party or faction. I shall know no victors or vanquished, my duty as a King being uppermost to achieve the advent of- national „ solidarity.” • “Will you be staying long in London?” King George was asked. “Ah, who can say?” he returned. ,