A WARNING TO GREECE

The Greeks have held an election and turned out Venizelos; on Sunday they will hold a plebiscite to determine who shall be their new leader. The overwhelming defeat of Venizelos makes a return-of anyone of his party inconceivable. On the other hand, the royalist party is hesitating in its plan for the triumphal entry of ex-King Constantine. There was something ominous in the report that Constantine's valets brought the royal trunks to Athens amidst great rejoicing just as the French ambassador was packing his so as to-be prepared for the arrival of the ex-King. No doubt remains as to the position of the three great European powers with the publishing of the note warning that "restoration of the throne of Greece to a King, whose disloyal attitude and conduct during the war caused them great embarrassment and loss, could only be regarded by them as ratification by Greece of his hostile acts," thereby creating a "new and unfavorable situation."

The Greeks have a right to elect any leader they want, but they would do well to lot reason dictate their action. All nations, although without authority to interfere, hope that Greece will not make the mistake of recalling a man who was a pro-Hohenzollern during the war. It would undo much of the work accomplished by Venizelos--and no one did more to prosper Hellenic aspirations. It would complicate exceedingly the near-Eastern problem in which all Europe is interested. It would repudiate Greece as one of the Allies. It is to be hoped that the Greeks will take the note from Great Britain, France and Italy in the right spirit.