What, No Yacht?

King Paul of Greece wanted a yacht. Time was when a crowned head could have got himself a yacht (or five yachts) as easily as an American businessman gets himself a Buick. But times have changed. When word reached Washington that the King had ordered a yacht in the U.S. (cost: $220,000), the State Department waggled a warning finger. With Greece still in want and still supported by U.S. taxpayers' money--as U.S. Ambassador John Peurifoy had explained it to the Greek government--it had no business spending so much money on royal yachting.

In vain did Greek officials explain that the yacht would actually save Greece money: when the King goes visiting among Greece's hundreds of islands, he now requires a destroyer, which is more expensive to operate than a nice new yacht would be. But Peurifoy did not see it that way. This week, palace spokesmen announced sadly that King Paul had cancelled the purchase of his dream boat.

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