The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Zaimis, Alexander

ZAIMIS, Alexander, Greek statesman: b. Athens, 1855. He was educated at the universities of Athens, Leipzig, Berlin, Heidelberg and Paris. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1885; served as Minister of Justice in 1890-92, and was president of the Chamber of Deputies in 1895-97. He was Premier in 1897-99, under King George, and again in 1901-02. He was High Commissioner of the Powers in Crete in 1906-11 and was successful in securing the annexation of that island to Greece. He was appointed Premier to succeed Venizelos in October 1915, but resigned a month later when his government failed to receive a vote of confidence. He was again appointed Premier in June 1916, but was succeeded by Lambros before the end of the year, only to succeed Lambros in May 1917. Upon the abdication of King Constantine, however, he was asked to resign, and was succeeded by Venizelos 25 June 1917. He was generally supposed to favor neutrality for Greece in the European War, but to be personally in favor of the Allies.