Civil War in Greece

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21415, 6 March 1935, Page 10

Civil War in Greece

The reason for the attempted coup d'etat in Greece is to be found not in any immediate and specific disagreement with the Government but in the quarrel, now of long standing, between the Monarchists and Venizelists. Few statesmen in the last half century have had a more chequered career than M. Venizelos, who is still, as at all times during the last 20 years, the centre of his country's political strife. There is, however, more than a suspicion that much of the motive force in the present revolt has been supplied by General Plastiras, who led the movement which' drove King Constantine from his country, and who, at a later date, reigned for 14 hours as Dictator in Athens. The strength and standing of M. Venizelos have their origin in the Great War, and in the very successful term of office in 1928 and the two following years. It is from this earlier period, when the Monarchists and Republican parties came into real being and their differences were crystallised, that Greece's present political troubles date. The bitter opposition, personal and political, between M. Venizelos and King Constantine in 1914-18 created two parties which have at no time really consented to sink their differences. A close connexion by marriage with the Hohenzollerns, King Constantine was reluctant to help Germany's enemies. The Allies, who would not accept an offer of help from M. Venizelos in 1914, asked for assistance in the following year for the Gallipoli venture, and M. Venizelos's consent was vetoed by the King. The dethronement of King Constantine by England and France in 1917 was followed by the assumption of power by M. Venizelos; but a large proportion of the country was now hostile

to him, and the numerous army officers and public officials who, presented with the choice between the new regime and dismissal, chose the latter, formed a strong anti-Veni-zelist group. The struggle between the Monarchists and Republicans became acute in 1923, ending temporarily with the declaration of the Hellenic Republic in April, 1924. Before the plebiscite instituting this form of government, M. Venizelos had retired through ill-health; but four years later he returned to Athens and re-entered active politics. Late in the year he formed a government, having won 223 seats out of the 250 in the elections, and for ' three years M. Venizelos achieved great things for Greece, not the least among which were agreements with Italy, Jugoslavia, and Turkey. In 1932 the prevailing economic troubles forced on him severe and unpopular measures of retrenchment, and his political tactics revived differences which seemed in 1928 to have been buried. In October, at a conference of party leaders held by President Zaimis, it was decided that M. Tsaldaris should preside over a Cabinet supported by a coalition of all the opposition parties. The arrangement was an unhappy one, for he governed only by the sufferance of the largest single party, the Liberals. In January, 1934, he resigned, and M. Venizelos became Prime Minister for the eighth time. Early in March he was defeated at the polls and after the brief episode of the Plastiras military dictatorship M. Tsaldaris formed the Government which is now in •power. M. Venizelos, who had almost certainly been implicated in the Plastiras affair, retired to Crete disgraced and broken in health. Had the Tsaldaris Government been reasonably energetic and efficient, it is possible that his political career would have come to an end. Unfortunately both its foreign and domestic policies were so weak that disaffection developed; and inevitably M. Venizelos became the centre of that disaffection.