Greek Elections and After
The Greek el 'ctions have ended more satisfactorily than was generally feared, perhaps as satisfactorily as could reasonably be hoped. Polling was carried out without any serious disorder and with no suspiciOn of intimidation or other irregularity. The decision of E.A.M. to abstain from voting made it inevitable that the Right wing would secure a comfortable majority. Precisely what the majority is will not be known till figures approved by the Allied observers are published, but it seems clear that well over 5o per cent. of the electors voted, and by no means all the abstentions were of political origin. E.A.M., indeed, seems to have made a bad mess of the whole affair. It declaimed against terrorism, while the fact that it was able to declaim publicly on the platform and in the Press proved the non-existence of terrorism ; and its appeal for abstentions from voting met with only a very partial response, far too partial to justify any claim that the elec- tion is thereby invalidated. But there is no ground for predicting unity and settlement in Greece. A powerful opposition, such as would have been constituted if members of E.A.M. had discharged the elementary duties of citizenship, might have compelled the Populist majority to pursue a moderate course, and in particular to postpone a plebiscite on the monarchy for the present. It is true that Greece has as much right to live under a monarchy as Great Britain if a majority of its citizens so desire ; there would be positive conveniences in the presence of a Head of the State, to discharge the duties now falling on the Regent. But the personality of King George enters largely into the question, and no issue is better calcu- lated to set Greece aflame. There is too much tinder about at preSent for the risk of new sparks to be viewed without grave apprehensions. But there seems to be some prospect that the Populist leaders, if they can succeed in persuading the Centre and the Liberals to join in a Coalition Government, may be willing to post- , pone the plebiscite for a reasonable time. That would be a wise and encouraging decision.
