THE WEEK OVER THE WORLD

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21416, 7 March 1935, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WEEK OVER THE WORLD

THE GREEK REVOLT Civil War in Several Districts The Old Struggle of Monarchists and Republicans The ninth revolution in Greece since 1909 is attracting the interest of many nations. The popular party, led by M. Panayoti Tsaldaris (Prime Minister), came into power on March 10, 1933, and has since suffered Ditter opposition from members of the Liberal and National Union parties, led by M. Eleutherios Venizelos. The Government has monarchist sympathies, while the opposition parties are definitely 'republican. M. Tsaldaris has attempted to restore in some measure the parliamentary government of a constitutional monarchy, and he has been violently opposed for two years by M. Venizelos and General Plastiras, who helped to expel the Royal family in 1923. When M. Tsaldaris and his supporters were successful in the March elections of 1933, a revolt was attempted by General Plastiras, who believed that the new government would try to restore the Royal family. An attempt was made on the life of M. Venizelos after the Plastiras revolt failed; it is believed that M. Venizelos took some part in the arrangements for the revolt. Later M. Venizelos retired to Crete, and General Plastiras fled to Egypt. But for some time the General has been living in Cannes, and is believed to have taken part in plans for revolt. His supporters and those of M. Venizelos are the rebels who have this week plunged Greece into civil war.

Both General Plastiras and M. Venizelos nave declared themselves in favour of the rebellion, but the General claims that he does not desire to rule the country with M. Venizelos. He is aiming at a democratic military dictatorship such as he enjoyed for a few weeks in September, 1922, and for one day in March, 1933. "I will not return to Greece," he declares, "except with full authority and at the invitation of the people." In Athens M. Tsaldaris declares that the Government has put down the revolt. But the latest news shows that the rebels have taken charge of the island of Crete under the leadership of M. Venizelos, and that in Macedonia the rebels are strongly entrenched.

EMPIRE AIR ROUTE Revolution Interferes

The revolution in Greece has interfered with the Empire air route (England-Singa-pore-Australia). Imperial Airways machines have been forbidden by the Greek Government to use the regular flying-boat harbour at Mirabella, where the motor-yacht Imperia has fceen permanently stationed for refuelling Imperial Airways flying boats. The flying boats will probably now re-fuei at the

THE PIRATE HERO Career of M. Venizelos M. Eleutherios Venizelos has been described this week by his political opponent, M. Panayoti Tsaldaris (Prime Minister of Greece), as "the pirate hero." This is because M. Venizelos, eight times Prime Minister of Greece, has been outlawed by the present Government, and has been accepted as the leader and ruler of thousands of rebels in the island of Crete. M. Venizelos is a native of Crete, and during the period of nearly 50 years of his political importance the inhabitants have been loyal to him. Since 1913 the island has belonged to Greece, but before then its people had been struggling for many years to free themselves from the Turkish rule,

which had begun in 1669. M. Venizelos was born in 1864, and he has devoted all his lifetime to serving Cretan Greeks. From 1886 to 1910 he was a member of the council of Crete, and from 1910-1915 was Prime Minister of Greece. He was then made head of the Government of Salonika, which had been won by Greece from Turkey in 1913; and after this he did much good work for Greece as Prime Minister at various times till 1933. His importance in Greek politics cannot be over-stated; for 25 years he has been the hero of the Liberal party, which he founded in 1910. It is widely known as the Venizelist party. M. Venizelos is more than 70 years of age, but he is still an active power in Greece.

small Greek island Kastelonyso, 75 miles south-west of the Italian island, Rhodes. A call is still to be made at Athens, but all machines have been making their flights slowly, awaiting instructions for avoiding the revolutionary areas where there has been much shooting of Greek Government aeroplanes from the various rebel strongholds.

NEWS IN BRIEF The Prince Composes The Prince of Wales has composed a bagpipe aii- called "Majorca." A gramophone record has been made of the air played by Pipe-Major Forsyth, who taught the Prince of Wales to play the bagpipes. Bluebird Trial Run Sir Malcolm Campbell reached a speed of 270.437 miles an hour on a trial run in the Bluebird at Daytona Beach, California, last week. He had a narrow escape from fire, caused by engine heat during one trial. European Politics Sir John Simon (British Foreign Minister), who was to have flown to Berlin to-day to confer with Herr Hitler, has been asked to postpone his visit, as Herr Hitler is indisposed. Victorian Elections The National Government, led by Sir S. S. Argyle, won the State elections in Victoria last week. Its members form - the United Australia party. The Dollfuss Murder Dr. Anton Rintelen, who is the suspected murderer of Dr. Dollfuss, appeared before a military court in Vienna on March 2. Dr. Rintelen pleaded not guilty. The trial is continuing. The Saar Drama Herr Adolf Hitler was welcomed with delirious enthusiasm by 20,000 Saarlanders on March 1, when he spoke at Saarbrucken on the occasion of the formal return of the Saar to Germany. Cook Islands Suffer. Details of the damage done by the recent, hurricane in the Cook Islands show that 75 to 80 per cent, losses are expected in the fruit export, the islanders' chief industry. Extensive damage was done to buildings along the waterfront by the high seas and gales. For Crippled Children Lord Nuffield, famous British motor magnate now visiting Wellington, has made the generous gift of £50,000, to be spent on crippled children in New Zealand. A King' Abdicates The King of Siam's abdication became effective on March 2, when the official document was confirmed. The ex-king and his wife will be known as Prince and Princess Sukhodaya. Abyssinia Italian and Abyssinian officials have agreed on the arrangements for establishing a neutral zone in Abyssinia. London to Japan Englishmen will be able to talk by telephone to friends in Japan next week. On March 13 a direct radio telephone service will be open to the public. A Russian Invention A Russian invention for recording the nature of the atmosphere at great heighls from the earth consists of rockets, which may be shot two hundred miles into' the air. The rockets will be equipped with "electric brains" for making automatic records.