The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1915. THE ATTITUDE OF GREECE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 15 December 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1915. THE ATTITUDE OF GREECE.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.)

Once more the Greek problem seems to be nearing solution. Tbe representatives of Britain and France have apparently satisfied King Constantine that he stands better with them than he does, or can do, with the Central powers. One can understand the mortal dread he would feel of his country being overrun with such brutal savagery as Belgium and Servia have boen subjected to, but there are indications that he has been finessing freely with the descendant of Attila, and bad company hag corrupted his good morals. If Constantine is not a Greek he should at least have brought himself into the Greek view of things; should understand the Hellenic temperament, and have fully grasped the traditions and leanings of the Grecian peoples, which, recently, his actions have been diametrically opposed to. Greece has several times saved Europe from barbarism, will she now forget her histciry, or will her people suffer their King leaguing them up with the wanton destroyer of those monuments of art that Grecian civilisation and culture did so much to bring into existence. Will they deliberately, through fear of hunnish threats, risk the freedom that has been fought for almost from the beginning of history, and has* been handed down to them as the most sacred of all trusts. The Greek national poet wrote, "It is better to live one houir in freedom than forty years , in bondage." And it must be admitted that if the Greek people have one national characteristic it is that love of freedom, of which their poet speaks. It may be that the whole question of the nation's connection with the war came too suddenly and in a phase that was least expected; aspects of the situation changed rapidly as German promises and threats of dire punishment were poured into one ear, while the Allies urged that honour and freedom only left one course of action into the othelr. Constantine va-' ciliated, he accepted German reasoning to abandon Greek obligations' to Servia, leaving a dark spot on the \ honour, the escutcheon, and the sa--1 cred ideals of Hellenism. He frankly I admits that lie is a soldier and not a ' Statesman, and therefore he may have ' been slow to understand and grasp the vital points and ramificatidns of the divergent views thrust upon him so, hurriedly and insistently;, setting up a condition of mind that did not permit of quick decision. He has un-

doubtedly exhibited a vacillance entitling him to the appellation Inconstant Constantine. It now seems certain, however, that better judgments have prevailed, with which, from a humane point of view, the greater part of the civilised world will be bighly satisfied. No details have yet come to hand, but it would be interesting to know what the determining force was. Pressure had been brought to bear in the form of a blockade —a nasty thing under the circumstances to counter—and the King with his proGerman friends went to the Kaiser for comfort and assistance, as is fairly evident from the reply that has been published. The Kaiser gave them to understand that in the event of the Allies employing force to coerce Greece, they could get no military assistance from Germany, as there was already a shortage of men to operate in the battlefields at present needing attention. This was the first glimpse of the Attilan cloven hoof Constantine got, and it occurred to him, quite naturally, that Kaiser Wilhelm was in search of men to fight his tattles elsewhere; that German presence in Servia, Bulgaria and Turkey was part of a subtle scheme to gather up armies from other nations to prosecute a march to Egypt and India, in aid of his world-dominion project, while he kept his own soldiers in Europe to ward off Russia, France and England. It was an admission of weakness; if Germany confessed a shortness of men she was not likely to be able to push the Allies off Salonika into the sea. Then the Allies decide that they will not be pushed eff whatever happened. More ftroops would be landed, a blockade of the Greek coast would be rigidly kept, regardless of what decision Greece might come to that was not favourable. It would indeed have been a mentally blind man that did not realise the position and draw conclusions. Heire were two parties, one confessing that he was too short of soldiers to meet the Allies in Greece, the other saying we intend to remain in G'reece a,nd to'drive back our enemies from that territory, and they lent significant corroboration to their word by a daily landing of forces, guns and all other war material. There could remain no doubt in any sane persons' mind \.l\.ch party was the stronger and which must ultimately prevail. Greece's decision is in accordance with her traditions, and we are inclined to the opinion that it is the decision of her people rathe!" than of her King. With the reople it is a matter of the national honour, with 'the king it «s abject fear of consequences.