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CRISIS IN
GREECE
Monarch and
Regent
"The Age" Special Correspondent
and A.A.I'.
LONDON, Nov. 22.
The sudden and unexpected
Intervention by King George of
-Greece, who is in London, has
intensified - the Athenian crisis,
i Constitutional -.comDlications have.
; arisen- . ovelv-r the 'resignation of"
i the 'Regent, Archbishop Damas-
kinos, after, the swearing-in of
i the three-day-old . Canellopoulis
Government;, which "resigne'd a
few hours later.
| - The new -Premier — possibly
without constitutional authority—
'is an octogenarian Liberal, M-
Sophoulls. who Is regarded as
persona grata with the British
Ambassador, but not with the
mass ol Greeks; Archbishop
Damaskinos, often termed- "the
only non-political Greek," swore
in M. Canellpoulis. declaring that
It would be' ills last public dut.v
as he was weary ot wrangling, i
Then came a political bomb
shell with a statement- by - the
Greek King condemning Damas
kinos 's action as illegal, and
criticising the Regent's previous
decision to hold general elections
and to postpone the critical ple
biscite-oil'. the! restoration -of ; the
monarchy.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Damas
kinos resisted a suggestion by
Mr. Hector, -McNeil, British For
eign' .Under Secretary, and Mr.
R; W; Leeper, British Ambas
sador at Athens, that the former
Premier, -M. Papandreou, who is
distrusted - by the Greek- Repub
licans, should be included. In the
new Cabinet.
Possible Coup
Confusion was . worse con
founded by the King's further
declaration :— "I am compelled lo
regulate .my future attitude with-,
out reservation other than the
interests of my people." This is
interpreted by Athenian Royalists
as tlie first- signal for a coup
d'etat. - '
The "Daily Herald" condemns
strongly the Greek King, stat
ing;— "He puts his dynasty be
fore- democracy."
The Greek Communist party,
in a statement said the party
Benefited the Snnhnnlis Govern-
ment; The statement added:—
"The British now have their first
real opportunity to serve the
Greek people in breaking the
Fascist reaction."
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