GREECE GOODBYE AGAIN " EVERYBODY WANTED TO CUT MY WINGS, / PROTESTED 
EX-PREMIER CONSTANTINE KARAMANLIS . " I REFUSED TO STAY AND LET 
THEM USE THEIR SCISSORS . " WITH THIS BITTER FAREWELL HURLED 
AT KING PAUL, AND AT GREEK VOTERS WHO HAD ENDED HIS 
EIGHT-YEAR ADMINISTRATION, KARAMANLIS ABRUPTLY EXILED HIMSELF TO PARIS . NO WATCHDOG 
. THOUGH CONSERVATIVE KARAMANLIS WAS THE ABLEST PREMIER IN RECENT GREEK 
HISTORY, KING PAUL AND QUEEN FREDERIKA CONSIDERED HIM HIGHHANDED (HE THOUGHT 
THE SAME OF THE QUEEN) ; THEY ALSO OPPOSED HIS IDEAS 
OF REFORMING THE CONSTITUTION TO GIVE THE PREMIER STRONGER EXECUTIVE POWERS 
. IN JUNE, WHEN THEY REJECTED KARAMANLIS' ADVICE TO CALL OFF 
A SCHEDULED STATE VISIT TO BRITAIN BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE LEFTIST DEMONSTRATIONS, 
HE RESIGNED AND SPENT THREE MONTHS IN A SWISS VILLA . 
RETURNING TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION, HE WAS NARROWLY DEFEATED BY WILY, 
MIDDLE-OF-THE ROAD GEORGE PAPANDREOU, 75 . KARAMANLIS WANTED TO QUIT THEN, 
BUT WAS DISSUADED BY HIS POLITICAL ALLIES AND THE KING, WHO 
CONVINCED HIM THAT AS LEADER OF HIS MAJESTY'S LOYAL OPPOSITION HE 
WOULD BE DEMOCRACY'S WATCHDOG . BUT KARAMANLIS WANTED TO BE TOP 
DOG, AND HE GROWLED AT EACH NEW MOVE THAT BOOSTED PAPANDREOU'S 
POPULARITY . THE NEW PREMIER FROZE RENTS, LAVISHLY PROMISED ALL GREEKS 
A FREE EDUCATION, DECLARED A MORATORIUM ON FARMERS' DEBTS, OFFERED WAGE 
BOOSTS TO JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY . HE GAVE UP THE PREMIER'S 
LIMOUSINE ( " WE CAN BUILD FOUR VILLAGE SCHOOLS WITH THE 
MONEY " ), OPENED HIS OFFICE ONCE A WEEK TO PETITIONERS 
WHO SWAMPED HIM WITH GRIPES, JOB REQUESTS, EVEN DEMANDS TO SPEED 
UP THEIR DIVORCES . THOUGH ANTI-COMMUNIST PAPANDREOU ALSO MANAGED TO PLEASE 
LEFTISTS . HE PROMISED TO FREE MOST OF THE 1,000 POLITICAL 
PRISONERS, IN JAIL SINCE THE END OF THE COMMUNIST CIVIL WAR 
IN 1949 . HE ALSO COMPLAINED, ACCURATELY, THAT THE GREEK DEFENSE 
BUDGET, AMOUNTING TO 5 PER CENT OF ITS GROSS NATIONAL INCOME, 
IS HIGHER THAN THAT OF OTHER SMALL NATIONS, IN NATO, CALLED 
FOR MORE FOREIGN AID ACTUALLY, THE U.S . IS PLANNING CUTBACKS) 
. TRIUMPHAL RETURN ? THOUGH SOME ECONOMISTS HOPEFULLY PREDICTED THAT PAPANDREOU'S 
SPENDING SPREE WILL BE COVERED BY RISING NATIONAL INCOME, GREEK BUSINESSMEN 
WERE UNEASY . WHEN KING PAUL, SIDING WITH THE NEW PREMIER, 
AGREED TO POSTPONE A PARLIAMENTARY VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, KARAMANLIS FUMED ; 
HE CHARGED THAT IN DELAYING THE EARLY TEST OF STRENGTH, THE 
KING WAS SUBMITTING TO " BLACKMAIL " BY PAPANDREOU, WHO IMPLICITY 
THREATENED THAT HIS DEFEAT MIGHT CAUSE POLITICAL DISORDER AND HELP THE 
LEFT . FINALLY, KARAMANLIS SUMMONED HIS CLOSEST POLITICAL AIDE AND TOLD 
HIM : / I'M RETIRING AND LEAVING GREECE TOMORROW . " 
HE BOOKED SPACE UNDER A FALSE NAME ON A FLIGHT TO 
PARIS . ONLY AFTER KARAMANLIS AND HIS WIFE HAD DEPARTED DID 
HIS NATIONAL RADICAL UNION GET THE WORD . STUNNED, THEY ELECTED 
A NEW PARTY CHAIRMAN AND TOOK WHATEVER COMFORT THEY COULD FROM 
A LETTER THEIR LEADER HAD LEFT BEHIND : " WHEN A 
STATESMAN KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR HIS COUNTRY BUT CANNOT CARRY 
IT OUT, HE MUST, INSTEAD OF COMPROMISING WITH HIS CONSCIENCE, RETIRE 
. " KARAMANLIS APPARENTLY HOPES THAT IF PAPANDREOU MAKES A MESS 
OF THINGS HE CAN RETURN FROM EXILE IN TRIUMPH . IN 
THE EVENT OF NEW ELECTIONS, HIS SUPPORTERS ARE READY TO CAMPAIGN 
UNDER THE SLOGAN " BRING KARAMANLIS BACK . " AS FOR 
PAPANDREOU, HE CLAIMS TO BE LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW VOTE, 
CONFIDENT OF AN EASY VICTORY . 