The Greek Succession
The death of King George of Greece after all the years of un- certainty and disturbance attending his broken tenure of the throne has produced something of a sense of anti-climax. His part in the affairs of his country since he returned six months ago had not been conspicuous, and the recent change in American policy had tended to draw attention from other issues, so that the death of the king was something for which nobody was quite prepared. Since in recent years to be prepared in Greece has tended to mean to be prepared to make trouble, that is perhaps just as well. It is, of course, still too soon to say that there will be no trouble. The Com- munists and their foreign supporters are always on the watch for any chance to promote disturbance, and there are elements of the extreme Right sufficiently irresponsible to snatch at any excuse to strengthen themselves by unconstitutional means. But it is as plain as it possibly can be that the present occasion gives no shadow of an excuse for any deliberate addition to the miseries of Greece. The constitution plainly provides for the succession to the throne, and the new King Paul has followed his brother legally and without fuss. Both by his political record and his personality he should on the whole be more rather than less acceptable to all Greeks than was King George. Above all, he cannot be accused of having anything to do with the Metaxas dictatorship. All countries, whatever their views on the institution of monarchy, must wish him well.
Previous page
