" His son
Alexander accepted the throne and issued the following proclamation:
At the moment when my august father, making a supreme sacrifice to our
dear country, entrusted to me the heavy duties of the Hellenic throne I
express but one single wish--that God, hearing his prayer, will protect
Greece, that He will permit us to see her again united and powerful. In
my grief at being separated in circumstances so critical from my
well-beloved father I have a single consolation: to carry out his sacred
mandate which I will endeavor to realize with all my power, following
the lines of his brilliant reign, with the help of the people upon whose
love the Greek dynasty is supported. I am convinced that in obeying the
wishes of my father the people by their submission will do their part in
enabling us together to rescue our dear country from the terrible
situation in which it finds itself.
The whole country to all appearances received the abdication with
satisfaction. On June 21st, M. Venizelos came to Athens and the Greek
Chamber, which was illegally dissolved in 1915, was convoked and
Venizelos once again became Prime Minister. At last he had succeeded,
and he proceeded at once to join the whole of the Grecian forces to the
cause of the Allies. Of all the statesmen prominent in the Great War,
there was none more wise, more consistent or more loyal than the great
Greek statesman.
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