GREECE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9675, 18 October 1909, Page 1

GREECE.

3 ♦ '' • : REMOVAL OF PRINCES FROM THE ARMY V United Press Association— By Electrio Telegraph — Copy light. LONDON, October 16. . At the request of the King of Greece, the Royal princes have resigned their commissions in. a 'last effort to conciliate the Revolutionary Officers' League. Though the Chamber was disposed to support the king and princes against tne Government and the Royalty requested the acceptance of the Military Reform Bill, which removes the princes from the army, without amendments or discussion, as the only means of avoiding the conflicts which the League threatened. The Chamber . assented, and twentythree Bills were passed in an hour. On August 27 M. Mavromichaelis succeeded M. Ralli as Premier of Greece, in consequence of a refusal of the latter, to accept a programme of reforms drawn up by the naval arid army oincers. The unrest among the othcers of the Greek army is of comparatively recent origin. It is due, to some extent, to the same causes which operated among the Turkish officers, and led them to embrace the Constitutional cause — the military weakness of the country, which is also affecting her position in the diplomatic and political world. It is especially the helplessness of Greece in the matter of the Cretan question which has demonstrated to the Greek officers the need' for a thorough reorganisation of the military forces of the kingdom. All the higher posts in the army are filled by patronage, and liecpractically in the hands of members of the Royal Family. They demand the removal from the army and navy of the Royal princes and the abolition of ,the post of Ooinmander-in-chief, which is now filled by tbe Crown Prince. They also ask for the engagement of a foreign officer of high standing as an organiser, and of a number of other foreign officers of the rank of colonel to act as instructors. Although a formal organisation, embracing about 350 officers in Athens alone, had existed for some months, it was only in the middle of July last that it was first discovered. The authorities at the time surprised a secret meeting; of 160 officers. On September 1 the Athens newspapers announced that the Grown Prince and. Prince Nicholas had requested to be placed on the unattached list and that Prince Andrew and Prince Christopher had applied for long leave. A semi-official communique was issued, stating that the sole object of the mililary coup of the previous Friday was the reorganisation of the army and the reform and improvement of administration. The movement was at no time directed against the king or the dynasty, nor had it as its object the diminution of the rights and privileges of the Crown or the violation of > the Constitution.