Void after Venizelos

The greatest Greek of modern times died last week far from the rocky headlands he loved.

Eleutherios ("Liberty") Venizelos, 72, "Father of the Greek Republic," who was born on what was the Turkish island of Crete, singlehanded doubled the area of modern Greece, tripled its population, dethroned and throned its Kings, led its only winning wars and won for it a prestige based, not on its actual importance, but on the respect his character had won at the council tables of Europe. As last week opened he was in exile in Paris, beloved of half the Greeks, hated by the other half. Grippe settled in his lungs. His old heart was tired. It stopped. The most important political fact in Greece this week was that Venizelos was dead.

Exactly a year ago Venizelos fought a bloody civil war primarily to forestall Greek Royalists from recalling King George II. He lost, and the world Press wrote his political obituary. This had to be scrapped when Venizelists won the Greek general elections two months ago, and it appeared that old "Liberty" was still in the thick of Greek politics, by mail and telegraph. What had happened was that, after King George's recall, both the King and Venizelos had discovered that Fascist-minded General George Kondylis was far more dangerous to them both than either of them was to the other. King George personally granted Venizelos amnesty and Venizelos wrote, "I say from my heart, 'Vive le Roi!'" Nevertheless he prudently stayed on in Paris.

The sudden death of General Kondylis eased His Majesty's position by removing the onetime Dictator who was trying to rule the King (TIME, Feb. 10). The sudden death last week of M. Venizelos profoundly disturbed the ticklish balance of power in Athens between Venizelists and the Army which is seething with ambitions for a coup d'etat. As always since the War the stabilizing influence in Greece remained British influence. The millionaire widow of M. Venizelos is the daughter of a British-nationalized Greek. Another British-moneyed fingerer in Greek pies is Munitioneer Sir Basil Zaharoff. King George II himself went direct from London to resume the Greek Throne as the protege of King George V and London bankers (TIME, Dec. 2). As Greek church bells tolled for Venizelos and Greek flags flew at half mast, Greek censors passed Athens dispatches in which correspondents agreed that the Venizelos party will soon evaporate, leaving a most ominous void.

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