KING CONSTANTINE AND M. VENIZELOS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2885, 25 September 1916, Page 7

KING CONSTANTINE AND M. VENIZELOS

OKING! 0 KING! ABDICATE

CONSTANTINE'S AUTHORITY AND PRESTIGE

PRACTICALLY GONE

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (United Service.)

(Rcc. September 24, 5.5 p.ni.)

~,,_.',, London, September 22. ..Mr. Jeffries, the war correspondent, pays, "Athens" and the "Kingdom of Greece ' arc merely names. Athens' no longer governs. In Salonika, Lemnos, Hamas, and' Mitylene independence proclamations have been issued, Epiriis and Larissa are following suit, and so also are Crcto and the Oyclades Isles, while Phocts and Acarnama arc wavering. Only Athens and Pelaponessos remain the walls of Alliens ar c placarded. The'newspapers' last appeal to the King was headed "0 King! 0 King! Abdicate." The "Astyr Journal" publishes th e following declaration of a. former Royal Courtier: "We made the revolution and disobeyed the commands of the' King and Government because of the treason, at Kavala. The magnitude of the catastrophe is impelling me and others hithorto fanatical enemies of the Liberal Parly to join in the rising." ' The'placards have not been removed because King Constantino's authority and prestige are practically gone. Quantities of arms are stored unhindered in private houses. King Constantino' and M. Vonizelos are holdinp co-equal powers, the King not daring to challenge Venizelos's acts. King Constantino s' rash promise to the Kaiser of uo intervention is responsible for the wholo trouble. Ho appointed the Gounaris and Skouloudis Governments because it was unlikely they would do anything, subsequently temporisinc continuously. He- saw tho tido turning, but stubbornly, imitated Canute, patronising the Reservists' League and wandering anci-Venizelists M. Zairnis resigned because he was overriden by MM. Streit, Stratos and other K.aiserites and pro-Germans surrounding King• Constantino. ,M Stroifc actually forms Ministries, contemptuously and openly stating 'there is no need to worry'about the Piraeus fleet. ' THE CLIQUE SURROUNDING THE KING OP GREECE ■ POSITION OF 'NEW MINISTRY BECOMING ABSURD. .* ("The Times.") ; ; London, September 22. A well-informed correspondent at Athens definos the femarkablo position as due to the Court influences governing .Greece, consisting of MM. Streit, Gounaris. and Dousmanis. Tho clique suvroiinding King Constantino appointed the new Ministry, whose position is daily becoming more absurd. ' When the Royalnominecs were appointed, .patriotic Greece fomented movements, but realised that it was hopeless to expect the new Cabinet of 'puppets and intriguers'to attack the Bulgarian invaders. The Government, belatedly realising tho growing strength of the feeling against Bulgaria, and becoming alarmed at tho numbers of officers and men who were smuggling themselves to Salonika, issued an authoritative report, asserting tliat it was the King's intention to declare war on Bulgaria. At the same tim© it issued another authoritative report for pro-Gormans, stating that there would bo no intervention before two months. It issued the latter proclamation because the Government believes Ger- ! many will destroy Rumania before that date, and will then send a sufficient force to the Dardanelles to render intervention impossible. GREECE COMPLETELY UNDER VENIZEUOS'S THUMB. Australian-New Zealand Gable Association. (Rec. September 21, 5.5 p.m.) " Amsterdam, September 23. Baron Schenk. who has returned to Berlin, in an interview, stated that Greece was completely under Venizelos's thumb. GREEK CABINET'S ASSURANCE TO THE BRITISH MINISTER, ' (Reutor's Telegram.l Athens, September 22. The Director-Gcneral of the Foreign Office visited Sir F. K. H. Elliott (British Ambassador), and assured him that the Greek Cabinet was only a business Cabinet, not a political one. It was ready, if recognised by the Entente, to sacrifice the Germanophile Ministers, who, before "assuming portfolios, indulged in an attack on the Entente. BIG ALLIED FLEET IN GREEK WATERS Australian-New Zealand Oable. Association. (Fiec. September 94, 5.5 p.m.) . ■ Athans, September 32. ! The Allied Fleet at Salainis has been increased to 85 ships, and is prepared for a, long *t»3>.

KING'S HARANGUE TO THE RECRUITS CONDEMNED. (Rcc. September 2-1, 5.5 p.m.) Athens, September 23. Tin. KinnV Jiafangue to the recruits is widely commented 00. He passed ill silence the ignominious surrender of an army corps to the Bulgarians while fronssiedly denouncing the Revolutionaries. The newspaper "Patris" says: "The King considerably exceeded his constitutional powers, and assumed tho Kaiser's autocratic methods." GREEK SAILORS PREPARING- TO JOIN' THE REVOLUTIONARIES. (Rcc. September 24, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 23. Tho "Daily.Chronicle's" "Athens correspondent says the Government, suspecting that throe ■ hundred. of tho crew of tho cruiser Averoff were preparing to join the Salonika movement ordered the rest of the fleet to surround the cruiser. , PARADE OF BATTALION OF GREEK REVOLUTIONARIES. Olouter's Telegram.) (Rcc. September 24, 5.5 p.m.) ' , Salonika, September 23. A battalion of Greek Revolutionaries paraded preparatory .to going to the front. General Ziobrakakis oxhorted them to expel the invaders. Women threw flowers from windows.