Anglo-Hellenic League, 1913-

Organisation

Anglo-Hellenic League, 1913-

1913

The Anglo-Hellenic League was founded in London in 1913 by Dr Ronald Montagu Burrows, Principal of King's College London, William Pember Reeves, Director of the London School of Economics, and two prominent Anglo-Greeks, D J Cassavetti and A C Ionides. Reeves was appointed Chairman with Burrows as Vice Chairman. The main aims of the League were the defence of the 'just claims and honour of Greece', the removal of existing prejudices and the prevention of future misunderstandings between the 'British and Hellenic races' and also between the 'Hellenic and other races of South Eastern Europe'. It also sought to spread information on Hellenic matters in Great Britain and the improvement of 'the social, educational, commercial and political relations of the two countries', together with the promotion of travel between Great Britain and Greece. The offices of the League were situated in the Aldywch, London. The League quickly came to be identified with the aspirations of Eleftherios Venizelos, Prime Minister of Greece, and acted as a source of pro-Venizelos political propaganda during the period between Venizelos' forced resignation in 1915 and the formal recognition of Venizelos as Prime Minister of the whole of Greece in Jun 1917 by the Entente powers, arguing particularly for the recognition of Venizelos' provisional government established at Salonica in 1916. Members of the League, including prominent philhellene British and wealthy members of the Greek community in Great Britain, subscribed to the endowment of the Koraes Chair of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, established at King's College London in 1919. The League held an annual meeting and periodic receptions in London to which eminent British philhellenes and Anglophile Greek dignitaries were invited. A sister branch of the League existed in Athens.

Publications: The League published numerous pamphlets on Greek issues, particularly relating to politics. The following are a selection, all published in London (the League pamphlet number is given with the year of publication): Albania and Epirus by William Pember Reeves (no 7, 1914); The New Greece by Ronald Montagu Burrows (no, 14, 1914); Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - Report of the International Commission into the causes and conduct of the Balkan Wars by Burrows (no 15, 1914); The Northern Epirotes by C S Butler (no 16, 1914); The Near East and the European War. Address delivered ... on January 15th, 1915 by Andreas M Andreades (no 17, 1915); Greece and to-morrow by Z Duckett Ferriman (no 23, 1915); Speech of M E Venizelos to the people. Delivered in Athens August 27, 1916 (no 28, 1916); The abdication of King Constantine, June 12, 1917 by Burrows (no 34, 1917); England's welcome to Venizelos at the Mansion House, November 16, 1917: speeches by the Right Hon A J Balfour, Earl Curzon of Kedleston, M. Winston Churchill, Mr Venizelos, Mr J Gennadius, and Dr R M Burrows (no 35, 1917); The Anglo-Hellenic Alliance. Speeches of Mr. Winston Churchill, the Greek Minister (Mr. Gennadius) and Viscount Bryce at the Mansion House June 27, 1918, The anniversary of the entry of re-united Greece into the war, etc. (no. 36, 1918); The Retirement of M. Gennadius. Speeches of Monsieur Venizelos ... and others at a valedictory dinner ... on November 18, 1918 in honour of M. Gennadius (no 38, 1919); The Turks, Cardinal Newman, and the Council of Ten by William Francis Barry (no 40, 1920); The Settlement of the Near East by Sir Arthur Henry Crosfield, Bt (no 45, 1922); The National Claims of the Dodecanese by Michael D Bolonakes (no 46, 1922); The Treatment of the Greek Prisoners in Turkey. Report of the International Commission of Inquiry appointed at the request of the Greek Red Cross (no 51, 1923); The Janina Murders and the occupation of Corfu by George Glasgow (no 53, 1923); Correspondence of Commodore Hamilton during the Greek War of Independence by Gawen William Hamilton (no 57, 1930).

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Further information is available at the National Archives (F145948)