TIRED OF BEING KING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2509, 23 November 1922, Page 4

TIRED OF BEING KING.

CONSTANTINE'S VIEWS. “HARD WORK AND NO FUN.” THE TURKISH .MENACE. A UNIQUE INTERVIEW. “Between you and me and the gatepost I don’t care anythin" at all about not being a king. Being a king is no fun these day*. It's hard work." Thus spoke Prince Glukesbourg, recently well known as King Constantine of Greece, chattily summing up his personal opinion ot. recent events, in a coffee interview wrote Air Otis Swift, correspondent of the Chicago Tribune from Athens recently. I had an exclusive hour’s conversation with him in the garden of the Royal Summer

Palace at Tatoy, outride Athens. It was the first and only interview the ex-King has given since his abdication.

The former monarch who looked tired and nervous but cheery, refused to discuss Greek politic.-. He voluminously surveyed the general European situation, however, declaring that all Europe was tottering to chaos. Ho condemned France and bitterly denounced the American policy of non-participation in Europe. He refused to say whet her he was planning to write a book, as has been rumoured here.

Permission to request an interview with Constantine was courteously granted by the chief of tlie Revolutionary Committee, Colonel Gonntas, who gave me all help and kindly signed my pass through the revolutionary lines guarding Tatoy. I was accompanied by Nicholas Theodore Pnpoulos, of the Revolutionary party. I motored 13 miletowards Tatoy along the road on which the famous Marathon races were run. The charming white marble palace lies in the centre of a fragrant pine forest. Beyond the sentry lines of the rebel army are a group of little cottages, where members of the court entourage reside. Vtfhilc the while and gold uniformed naval officer aide-de-camp went to request an interview T waited in (he vine-shadowed arbour. Near by a group of blackclad ladies-in-waiting, many of them in tears, were talking of the approaching - departure of the Queen. Constantine at first refused an interview, saying he did not wish the Revolutionary Committee to think he was opposing them in any way. Later he consented on condition that no questions of Greek politics were discussed. A TIRED MAX.

The ex-King I'eceived me in the ’garden. He sat at a little rustic table located half-way down the middle of a long, shady avenue of elm (roes. He is a hig man, wideshouldered, with a heavy face, a heavy jaw, and (»lose-cropped, bullet shaped head. ITis bald forehead was wrinkled, his face white and tired, with weary, blackened patches under his mild blue eyes. The upturned military moiislachios were not waxed, and scraggy. Tic was bareheaded.- and wore a grey tweed business suit. P.ul when, after di--missing the aide-de-camp, he opened the eonver.-aton, he spoke cheerfully of the collapse of hi- throne. Constantine’s English was accent less ; he spoke low, in nervous ejaculatory, explosive sentences, using much American slang. ‘T cannot understand America,” he began. “Much of our trouble here is due to the fact that America did nut recognise me. Why should mu they? It was some silly question of Mexico. The Rowers said if the United States recognised me they would recognise Mexico. What’s Mexico got to do with me? You call America a democracy. That's a Greek word, demos —rule of the people. You talk about freedom, letting everybody he free. Yet you don't recognise me. Whal kind of democracy is that !" OPINION OF THE TURKS. Constantine paused and produced n silver cigarette case and lit; a cigarette. He did not offer me one hut passed the matches across the table when I produced mine. "I hope the Revolutionary army thoroughly defeats the Turks,” lie went on. “They must. The Turks are still the same uncivilised nomad?, win) invaded Europe 500 years ago. They have not produced any culture or art. if they get Thrace they will lie a constant menace to Western Europe. Their policy is the extermination of Greeks. W r c can and must defeat them in order to save the Greek nation.” With characteristic abruptness Constantine changed the conversation. “You’ve got lots of: Greeks in. America, haven’t you? 1 used to ride round the town in my automobile a lot. One day I saw a man wearing some queer-looking pants. I stopped him. ‘Say, what have you got on?’ I said to him. ‘Those are overalls; I’ve been in America,’ lie replied. They develop into a line type in America ; I’ve seen them. But I don’t understand your Government's attitude. Why didn’t they recognise me? FUTURE PLANS. “What are my plan.-? I haven’t any particular plans. I ami my wife are leaving for Italy at once on a ship which the Revolutionary Committee has placed at my di-po-ai. My daughter and my brothers arc going also. I’m going to Palermo first as 1 have never visited the country round there, hut 1 don’t know what I will do afterwards. I’m sorry to leave here. 1 like Tatoy. TPs a nice palace, beautiful woods, very good hunting, very cool and pleasant in summer time. There’s good fishing, and yachting, and the climate is very lovely. My father willed Tatoy to me, and I ve always preferred it to anywhere else.” “How does it feel not to he a king any more?” 1 asked him. "Between you and me and the gatepost 1 don't cure anything about not being a king. Being a king is no fun these days. It’s a lot of hard work. The position i- a very difficult one. I now want to live the life of a plain country gentleman.” The conversation had lasted an hour. The aide-de-camp suddenly appeared and hailed “at attention 20 paces distant, and saluted. The ex-King beckoned him to approach. The Queen had finished her coffee and the visitors were waiting on the terrace. Prince Glukesbourg rose, u tall, bulky figure. He shook hands cordially as he thanked me for my bon voyage wishes on his trip to Italy.