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 .