Show Modern Greeks Oppose Digging In n Ancient Ruins urns to o Discover Early History I of Hellenic Age I Residents Hold Out for Higher Price When American Archaeologists Get Ready to Excavate in Former Market Place BV ny DREW PEARSON Special Sped I Correspondent nt of The Stand Stand- ard E Copyright 1927 Consolidated Press Association WASHINGTON H Oct t. t 22 Modern Modem e Tl f Greeks G who live over o e the ruins of I ancient Athens are up In arms against AmerIcan archaeologists who want to Into Int the most fascinating page in history which lies beneath them The Issue was brought to a head this week when a n gift of 0 for forthe forthe forthe the excavation of the ruins was an announced an- an announced on behalf of ot an anonymous American by Col Arthur Woods for for- former for former fo mer police pollee commissioner of ot New NewYork York Probably the chief objection behind b the the opposition of ot Athenian householders Is a a. higher price for tOL their property But at any rate they have organized a Home Preservation association and are arc determined to thresh the matter mat r out in the courts cour As a result the work of ot excavation cannot begin before 1929 REFUSE USE TO Meanwhile the area under which they live contains treasures which may rewrite the history books of the world No other spot in Greece probably probably probably ably no other spot In the world Is Isso Isso isso so rich In opportunities to fill out the pages of ancient Athenian history The rest of ot Greece has been dug over fairly thoroughly Even most of the city of ot Athens has been delved into except for this one area the Agora which was wes the market place of ot the ancient city This has been guarded by the stubborn opposition of people who used lived 11 cd over It and who re refuse re- re refuse refuse fuse to move In this much disputed area now covered with nondescript dwellings the greatest buildings of ot Athens were ere erected from Pericles to Hadrian Some of these still jut about the sur sur- surface surface surface I face but for the most m. m ost part the wast wast- wastage wastage wastage age of ot the centuries has filled the Agora with earth tarth Turkish and Byzantine Byzantine Byzantine antine buildings lie nearest the sur sur- surface surface face sometimes above it Ten feet below this Is the Roman period while the Hellenistic or connecting period is 12 to 14 feet deep Lowest of all allare allare allare are the ancient monuments of ot the purely Hellenic age Within the Agora is the Roual Roust Stoa where Socrates was first arraigned J and end the prison where he drank the fateful hemlock also the temples of Zeus Arcs and Aphrodite Here met the court of within which archaeologists expect to find the tile first drafts of the early laws of Athens CENTER OF CULTURE Over this area arel once the center of the worlds world's culture and government there thero now runs a maze of ot crooked streets threaded between little red roofed houses In the masonry of their walls can be seen stones marked with wills the tools of ot ancient civilizations About the back yards a visitor who ho hoIs is trusted can see virtual museums of ot dug up from the gar gar- gar gar- dens and kept illicitly for the Greek law now provides that all such an an- antiquities antiquities go to the government Donkeys street urchins and beggars crowd against classic monuments Every third house is a cafe caCe with wine tables filling the dusty sidewalk in front of ot It ft Show lane famous for its coins and other antiquities Is with American tourists And Anc Andall Andall all of these modem modern Institutions of Athens oppose the American spade which threatens to upset the dusty drowsiness of its l life Under the terms of ot the agreement between Professor Edward Capps of ot Princeton who Initiated the project and the Greek government the latter is obligated to buy the land on which these people live These will require at least and has been estimated as high as This alone Is something of a a. slum slum- bling bUng block bl ck in the path of ot excava excava- excavation excavation excavation tion progress for the Greek government govern govern- govern government ment In the first place has not an treasury while the prop prop- property property property erty owners in the second place are holding cat for high prices Dazzled by dreams of ot American gold they have banded together and retained expert attorneys for the battle In n the courts By law they are allow allow- allowed allowed allowed ed eight months' months notice before re required re- re required required to abandon their property but this period does not begin until after the test cases have been decided Moreover it is doubtful If the courts will require them to move unless they are adequately paid for their property and it Is doubtful if the Greek Dreek government Is prepared to do this any time soon For several years the government has postponed the money issue feeling safe in the be belief be- be belIet belief lief lIet that American archaeologists would be a a. long time in raising their share share Now that 2250 has tumbled down unexpectedly to them it is not likely to come im Im- immediately Immediately mediately |