The ''Atlantis'' was the first successful
Greek language
Greek ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southern Al ...
daily newspaper published in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The newspaper was founded in 1894 by Solon J. and Demetrius J. Vlasto, descendants of the Greek noble family,
Vlasto.
[Magny, Claude Drigon. ''Livre D'or De La Noblesse Européenne'', Ed. 2. Paris: Aubry, 1856, pg. 441.] The paper was headed by a member of the Vlasto family until it closed in 1973. Published in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, it had a national circulation and influence. ''Atlantis'' supported the
royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
faction in Greek politics until the mid-1960s. ''Atlantis'' editorial themes included naturalization, war relief,
Greek-American
Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the highest es ...
business interests, and Greek religious unity.
History
The history of the Greek-language newspaper Atlantis is closely related to the careers of the
Vlasto family in the United States. Like many other
Greek-Americans
Greek Americans ( el, Ελληνοαμερικανοί ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. The lowest estimate is that 1.2 million Americans are of Greek descent while the highest es ...
, the Vlasto family retained close ties to Greece. The newspaper throughout its history was headed by a Greek-born and Greek-educated member of the family.
Founders
Founder Solon Stylien J. Vlasto (1852–1927) immigrated to the United States in 1873. He eventually formed an import-export partnership with his brother Demetrius J. Vlasto (1869–1944).
The Vlasto brothers were active in New York City's Greek-American community. In 1891, Solon founded the Greek Society of ''Athena'' and served as president from 1891-1895. Its 1,000 or so members dedicated themselves to helping
Greek newcomers adapt to life in the United States. In 1892, the society established the first
Greek Orthodox Church
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also call ...
,
The Holy Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the Fa ...
, in New York City.
In 1893, Solon J. wrote the mayor of New York City,
Thomas Francis Gilroy
Thomas Francis Gilroy (June 3, 1840 – December 1, 1911) was the 89th mayor of New York City from 1893 to 1894.
Biography
Gilroy was born in Sligo, Ireland, and immigrated with his parents to New York City at age seven. His father died soon aft ...
asking him to have the national flag of Greece displayed over City Hall in celebration of
Greek Independence Day
The celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821 (Greek: Εορτασμός της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης του 1821, ''Eortasmós tis Ellinikís Epanástasis tou 1821''), less commonly known as Independence Day, takes place i ...
; On April 6, 300 Greeks marched through Broadway up to Chambers Street, an event that was a forerunner to New York's
Greek Independence Day Parade thirty years later.
Solon J. received the honorary title of "exarch" from the
Patriarch Joachim III of Constantinople. In 1916, King
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine I ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Αʹ, ''Konstantínos I''; – 11 January 1923) was King of Greece from 18 March 1913 to 11 June 1917 and from 19 December 1920 to 27 September 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army ...
also conferred the Gold Cross of Officer of the
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...
, the Greek Legion of Honor for his "continual services to Greece and to the Greeks of America."
In 1894, the two brothers founded the newspaper ''Atlantis''. Solon J. served as publisher until his death in 1927. Demetrius, the treasurer and secretary, succeeded him, and their nephew Solon G. Vlasto became publisher after Demetrius' death. In June 1960,
Athenagoras I of Constantinople awarded Solon G. Vlasto the title of
Grand Archon, Exarch General of the Great Church of Christ. Despite initial outside investment, all capital stock in ''Atlantis'' and its subsidiaries was in family hands by 1921.
Editors-in-chief
The editor-in-chief of ''Atlantis'' was traditionally hired from outside the family. Socrates A. Xanthaky, editor from 1897, left in 1907 to found the rival newspaper ''Panhellinios''. Adamantios Th. Polyzoides was editor from 1907 to 1933; Vladimir Constantinides, from 1933 to 1960. Solon G. Vlasto filled the post for several years. Panayiotis Gazouleas became editor in 1963 until 1972.
Early period
Originally, Solon J. Vlasto, wrote accounts of events and posted them outside his office door. From these notes came his weekly newspaper.
[Northrup, Mary]
"The Greek press in America"
Cobblestone, Dec 1996, Vol. 17 Issue 9, p. 17.
''Atlantis'' increased steadily in circulation and had 3,400 readers by 1900.
The newspaper then appeared semi-weekly, later tri-weekly, until it finally became a daily in 1905.
In 1910, the Sunday edition and a magazine, the ''Monthly Illustrated Atlantis'', began circulation. The magazine was published into the 1930s then reappeared again in 1953. ''Atlantis'' also operated a Greek-language book department, which issued a calendar, published several titles, and distributed many others.
The Atlantis Corporation was formed in 1904 and underwent reorganization twice. In 1911, Atlantis Publishing Company was organized to purchase the Monthly Illustrated Atlantis. In 1921, the subsidiary Atlantis Greek Book Company was created.
Editorial opinion
''Atlantis'' was widely recognized as a family paper. Solon J. Vlasto previously a stringent critic of the Greek dynasty, in subsequent years became an ardent supporter of King Constantine and a leader of the royalist factions in Greek communities in the United States. ''Atlantis'' remained a royalist paper through the vicissitudes of war, elections, and coup, until
King Constantine II's differences with the regime of the colonels during the mid-1960s.
Solon's brother and nephew shared the same views. Demetrius J. Vlasto was also actively involved in ''Atlantis'', in war relief campaigns, and in church affairs. Solon G. Vlasto (nephew) came to the United States in 1918, when he was 15 years old to join ''Atlantis'' as a copy boy. In 1944, he became publisher and managing editor and in the early 1960s served briefly as editor. He was also active in war relief work and the church.
[Hansell, Sau]
" Solon G. Vlasto, 94, Newspaper Publisher "
''The New York Times'', August 25, 1988, accessed August 1, 2011
Several Vlasto family members of the third generation, Solon's son James S., and Barbara, and Andrew Vlasto, worked for Atlantis as well. James Vlasto was managing editor and spokesman for the family when the newspaper closed in 1973.
The newspaper's nationwide distribution helped it become an influential voice in the Greek-American community. It carried social and organizational notices, fiction, classified advertising, and advice columns. It also published news of Greek-American affairs, of trade and diplomatic relations between the two nations, and of Greek internal politics.
''Atlantis'' and ''Panhellenios'' (1908–1913)
Socrates A. Xanthaky, editor-in-chief of ''Atlantis'' from 1897, resigned from his post after a series of disputes with Vlasto. Seeking to dethrone his boss, Xanthaky gathered sufficient funds to start publication of ''Panhellenios''
he Panhellenicin 1908 as a tri-weekly. This newspaper also served as the mouthpiece of the Panhellenic Union, the first national organization seeking to coordinate Greek interests in America. Initially, the Panhellenic Union received the support of Vlasto, but his policy changed by late 1908.
Outstanding differences in polity and personality set the stage for a journalistic battle between Vlasto's ''Atlantis'' and Xanthaky's ''Panhellenios'', representing the Panhellenic Union and Lambros Coromilas (Greek ambassador to the United States in 1908). Circulation increased for both papers as the readership characteristically chose sides. Vlasto won the struggle, though, as Coromilas departed from his American position in 1910, and as the Panhellenic Union's size and prestige suffered from reports of a financial scandal during the 1912-1913
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
. Xanthaky, too, lost the contest against Vlasto as the ''Panhellenios'' stopped its presses in 1913.
No publication, however, approached ''Atlantis'' in influence at the time.
[Papacosma, Victor S]
''The Greek Press In America''
Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, Pella Publishing Company, January 1979, pg. 50.
Wartime relief efforts
While assisting the Greek-American in his adjustment to the new environment, ''Atlantis'' did not permit him to forget his poor homeland and its needs. Constant attention was therefore devoted, as in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, to the military posture of the nation. Greece had suffered a
humiliating defeat in 1897 at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, with which it maintained tense relations. Added to this conflict was the
contest with Serbia and particularly
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
over Macedonian lands. In support of the Greek cause, editorials and feature articles publicized the development of volunteer military units in Greek centers throughout the United States.
From 1909 to 1911, ''Atlantis'' printed many articles on the travels and exploits of a famous fundraiser in the Greek colonies around the world, Spyros Matsoukas, who crossed the country to raise money for the purchase of the destroyer ''
Nea Genea'' ("New Generation"), named in tribute to the reborn national spirit. ''Atlantis'' detailed the activities and rhymes of this self-proclaimed poet, who usually composed his verses at a prolific rate on trains en route to his next destination. As was done with all fundraising campaigns, the pages of ''Atlantis'' listed all contributors and the amounts given, down to the small sum of twenty-five cents.
The ''Atlantis'' also sponsored the collection of money for the
Patriarchate in Constantinople and for the purchase of an airplane for the Greek army."
When the
Italo-Turkish War erupted in October 1911, ''Atlantis'' printed special editions with extensive coverage of events.
In the fall of 1912, when the Balkan states appeared ready to declare war on the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, the columns of ''Atlantis'' encouraged immigrants to return to Greece for the imminent hostilities. Headline articles publicized patriotic demonstrations of Greeks throughout America as they raised money or packed their bags to rush eastward towards waiting ships in New York harbor.
On October 9, 1912, ''Atlantis'' began printing a second daily edition for the New York area, and, with Greece's entry into the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
on October 17, the coverage of the distant events intensified.
To honor the victories of the Army's Commander-in-Chief,
Crown Prince Constantine, who subsequently acceded the throne in March 1913, the Atlantis sponsored a fundraising program and collected $3000.49 for the purchase of a commemorative sword from
Tiffany & Co. Demetrius J. Vlasto was one of the four who presented the sword on behalf of the Greeks of America to King Constantine, on Easter Day, 1913.
In 1913, after Greece's victory in the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
against Bulgaria, Vlasto initiated a campaign to check the advances of pro-Bulgarian sentiment in the United States. Vlasto and his colleagues drafted a series of articles in English, published first in ''Atlantis'', which countered Bulgarian activities and arranged to have over 500 newspapers across the nation (most of them small town weeklies) print these articles during the first months of 1914.
Vlasto also produced a succession of strong pieces against
William Randolph Hearst's pro-Bulgarian editorials in the ''
New York American
:''Includes coverage of New York Journal-American and its predecessors New York Journal, The Journal, New York American and New York Evening Journal''
The ''New York Journal-American'' was a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1937 t ...
''. After several weeks of concentrated effort, Vlasto and other prominent Greeks persuaded Hearst to temper his pro-Bulgarian statements and to substitute instead comments favorable to the Greek position in Balkan politics.
Immigrant interest in the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
pushed circulation of ''Atlantis'' to over 30,000 in 1914, a figure higher than any Athenian daily of the period.
Voice for American citizenship and naturalization
As naturalization became more popular after the First World War, ''Atlantis'' became a strong voice in favor of American citizenship. Participation in the war effort had accelerated the Americanization process. ''Atlantis'' distributed handbooks and encouraged its readers to begin the naturalization process.
Vlasto tried to introduce immigrants to US politics and was a staunch supporter of
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
. In 1911, perhaps as a result of Vlasto's influence, the majority of the 2,000 New York Greeks who had taken American citizenship supported the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
* Republican Part ...
and had even founded a Republican Political Club.
''Atlantis'' and ''The National Herald''
Greek Americans, eager for news of their homeland in a language they could read, helped make the ''Atlantis'' the largest-circulation Greek newspaper in America. Its only serious competition was the ''Ethnikos Kyrix'' (''
The National Herald
''The National Herald'' is an English-language weekly newspaper, based in New York City, focusing on the Greek-American community. It was founded in 1997 and added a website in 2004. Its headquarters are in the Long Island City
Long Island Cit ...
'').
Having effectively dominated Greek-American journalism for almost two decades, Vlasto faced his strongest rival in 1915. Petros Tatanis, a successful merchant, accumulated $100,000 for the launching of ''The National Herald'' on April 2, 1915.
[Papacosma, Victor S]
''The Greek Press In America''
Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, Pella Publishing Company, January 1979, pg. 51.
The two papers were radically different in their political views. The ''Atlantis'' supported the monarchy in Greece and the
Republicans
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
in America, criticizing the
Democrats and
Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
programs of the 1930s. ''The National Herald'' supported liberal causes in Greece and America and defended the
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
.
As politics in Greece became steadily polarized, the two major opposition groups found themselves represented by journalists over five thousand miles away. In the resulting struggle which endured for many years, ''Atlantis'' generally defended conservative, pro-royalist positions, while ''The National Herald'' supported the liberal, progressive forces of
Eleutherios Venizelos
The Greek monarchy and Eleutherios Venizelos
''Atlantis'' moved into national prominence about the time that the conflict (the so-called "
National Schism
The National Schism ( el, Εθνικός Διχασμός, Ethnikós Dichasmós), also sometimes called The Great Division, was a series of disagreements between Constantine I of Greece, King Constantine I and Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizel ...
") between Greek liberal leader Eleutherios Venizelos and
King Constantine of Greece with his strong German ties reached its height.
Eleutherios Venizelos, Prime Minister since 1910 and head of the
Liberal Party, advocated an alliance with the French and British on the premise that the nation would be amply rewarded with new territory for this support. King Constantine, who was German-educated and relied heavily on pro-German military advisers, warmly backed the objectives of the ''
Megali Idea'', but demanded certain guarantees in arms, troops, and money from the Allies to ensure national security. The dispute sharpened during 1915 with Venizelos maintaining that the King exceeded his constitutional prerogatives in blocking Greece's entrance into the war.
In 1916, Venizelos declared a separate
Provisional Government
A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...
in
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
to place pressure on the royalist regime in Athens to change its policies. Eventually, on June 13, 1917, the English and French forced the departure of King Constantine; later that same month, a triumphant Venizelos arrived in Athens, thus reuniting Greece with foreign assistance and bringing her into the war on the side of the Entente, his political benefactor.
''Atlantis'', by supporting the neutral stand of King Constantine, exposed itself to pro-German accusations. In backing Venizelos, ''The National Herald'' denounced its journalistic opponent for the endorsement of the monarch's policies. Both newspapers spurred the development of organizations to facilitate public expressions of support for their respective leaders. Rallies and proclamations increased from the autumn of 1916 and caught the attention of the American press, specifically ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''
Consistently condemned for alleged pro-German propaganda, ''Atlantis'' found itself investigated for possible violations of the
Espionage Act of 1917. An investigation of its editorial policy and articles indicated that ''Atlantis'' did not violate the law. It might be pointed out that after Venizelos's return to power in June 1917, the sale of Atlantis in Greece was prohibited.
This decade before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
also was during the peak of Greek migration to the United States. Many immigrants regarded their stay in the United States as temporary and remained strong partisans in Greek politics. The pages of ''Atlantis'' and its rivals reflected that partisanship so vigorously that the Vlastos became embroiled in libel actions based on ''Atlantis'' articles. Some suits resulted from their criticism of consular and diplomatic representatives of the Venizelos government.
After King Constantine's abdication in 1917, many Greek-American liberals regarded "Constantinism" as German propaganda, and attacked ''Atlantis reporting on Greek internal affairs as damaging to the Allied war effort. These attacks brought the newspaper's mailing permit under close government scrutiny. The Vlasto's fought hard to meet
U.S. Post Office regulations for foreign-language press mailings, and to modify them.
''Atlantis'' in the 1920s
During the 1920s, ''Atlantis'' is most noted for continuing themes the dramatic events of the previous war decade had overshadowed. After supporting relief efforts in the 1912
Balkan War and
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, it performed this service again during the
Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)
The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, ota, گرب جابهاسی, Garb Cebhesi) in Turkey, and the Asia Minor Campaign ( el, Μικρασιατική Εκστρατεία, Mikrasiatikí Ekstrateía) or the Asia Minor Catastrophe ( el, Μικ ...
.
Another domestic issue during the 1920s was a "civil war" within the ecclesiastical administration of the Greek Orthodox churches in the United States.
Royalist and Venizelist leaders concluded that the struggle posed a serious threat to the cultural identity of the Greek-American community so the Church of Greece, the Greek government, and the Patriarchate of Constantinople nominated
Damaskinos as Patriarchal Exarch to the United States. ''Atlantis'' wrote a "conciliatory" article about his arrival.
''Atlantis'' during World War I
With America's entrance into World War I, both Vlasto and Panos Callimachos (editor of ''The National Herald''), advocated wholehearted support of the American war effort, the purchase of
Liberty Bonds
A liberty bond (or liberty loan) was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financi ...
, enlistment into the armed forces, and application by Greeks for American citizenship. Moreover,in the early spring of 1918 and in order to foster Greek unity behind the American cause, both newspapers agreed to drop the succession of libel suits against each other.
As immigrants became increasingly Americanized and the distant disputes held less of an attraction for them. Furthermore, with the immigration quota restrictions imposed by the
Immigration Act of 1924, the former flood of newcomers from Greece became a mere trickle. The directors of ''Atlantis'' (Solon J. Vlasto died in 1927) acknowledged these changed circumstances, and their editorials became less heated.
Circulation figures for the period from World War I to World War II indicate significant fluctuations. In 1917, the ''Atlantis'' recorded 30,121 and by 1920, circulation climbed to 35,000. But from this high point, the demand began to decline and the ''Atlantis circulation dipped very sharply.
''Atlantis'' in the 1930s
The Depression decade of the 1930s produced difficult times for Greeks as well as for most Americans. ''Atlantis'', labeled an independent newspaper, consistently supported Republican interests and criticized
Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
. Prior to the outbreak of the war, ''Atlantis'' softened its stand towards the President, acknowledging, as did other Greek-American editors with Republican inclinations, that the overwhelming majority of Greeks fell into the lower and small business classes and therefore backed
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
measures.
''Atlantis'' welcomed the restoration of the monarchy in the autumn of 1935 and the proclamation of a
dictatorship
A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship are ...
by
Ioannis Metaxas on August 4, 1936.
In 1937, ''Atlantis'' joined the Greek consul-general and the Orthodox Church to welcome a visiting spokesman for the Metaxas dictatorship as the representative of Greece's legitimate government. After the
Italian invasion of Greece under
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
in 1940, the Greek-American political debate was set aside in favor of massive war relief activity conducted through the Greek War Relief Association (GWRA). Atlantis solicited and forwarded contributions to GWRA.
For 1930, statistics show 12,429 readers for Atlantis.
''Atlantis'' from 1940 to 1973
During the war years and the postwar period, dominated by the second, American-born generation,
Ahepa
The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA, usually referred to as the Order of AHEPA) is a fraternal organization founded on July 26, 1922, in Atlanta, Georgia. AHEPA was founded to fight for civil rights and against discrim ...
and other fraternal organizations, rather than the press, led the Greek-American community. Greek-Americans argued the legitimacy of the British-supported royalist government, and the merits of the left and the Greek Communist Party positions, throughout the 1940s. Atlantis continued to support the royalists.
In 1944, Solon G. Vlasto, (Solon J.'s and Demetrius J.'s nephew) became publisher of ''Atlantis'' until the newspaper ceased publication. The newspaper was later willed to him by his uncle.
The circulation of Greek-language papers increased during the 1950s. The war effort had renewed Hellenic pride. The
Greek Orthodox Church
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also call ...
es became more active in their communities. There was an influx of refugee immigrants and a movement to liberalize American immigration laws. Greek internal affairs, including the defeat of the Greek Communists in 1949, the United States' role in
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, and the ascendancy of the Greek military regime, 1967-1974 also continued to be of interest to the Greek-American community and Greek-language press.
The daily ''Atlantis'' was published until October 1973 after 79 years of active publishing. In 1972, the dismissal of three
Newspaper Guild
The NewsGuild-CWA is a labor union founded by newspaper journalists in 1933. In addition to improving wages and working conditions, its constitution says its purpose is to fight for honesty in journalism and the news industry's business practice ...
members provoked a strike that suspended publication. For eight weeks, publication resumed in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, but picketing halted it again. In October 1973, unable to reach agreement with one of its five unions, and pressured for back rent, the Vlasto family decided to cease publishing.
[Carmody, Dierdre]
''Atlantis, Greek-Language Daily Paper, Shuts Down Operations After 79 Years''
''The New York Times'', October 27, 1973, pg. 35.
B. J. Marketos, former publisher of ''The National Herald'', lamented the fall of his longstanding rival in an editorial entitled ''To Symptoma'' (''The Symptom''). According to Marketos, the foreign-language press faces great dangers, as evidenced by the number of Italian, Polish, German, Hungarian, and Jewish dailies decreasing by 85% since 1945. Regrettably, newspapers such as Atlantis, which ministered to the needs of their people for so long, had to close. Yet this fate has also confronted English-language journals with circulations in the millions."
The
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...
seized ''Atlantiss property for delinquent taxes and auctioned it on October 26, 1973. An unknown bidder bought back issues, presses, and other equipment. James S. Vlasto, speaking for the family, stated that the landlord's impatience and the union's intransigence had closed the paper. "I really don't think there was reason for it to die. The market was there and it could have survived."
The building on West Forty-First Street in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
was purchased in 1946 and owned by the ''Atlantis'' until it was torn down to build the West Side Airlines Terminal by the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized ...
. Offices later moved to 521 West 23rd Street.
Notable people
George S. Vlasto
![Photo of John F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Photo_of_John_F.Kennedy_in_New_York_City%2C_two_weeks_before_the_election_in_November_1960.jpg)
George S. Vlasto, the eldest son of Solon G. Vlasto worked as a photo journalist while earning his degree at New York University. His photos were published in the editions of the ''Monthly Illustrated Atlantis''. After earning his doctoral degree at New York University, he joined the University of Connecticut faculty at the Stamford campus as an Assistant Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology, teaching biology and pre-med. While working at the ''Atlantis'', he covered many
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
victory celebrations, including ceremonies honoring
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
,
Chester W. Nimitz
Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in C ...
, and
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
. He also took photos of many major public figures including
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
,
Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
,
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
,
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
and
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
. George S. Vlasto died at the age of 86 in August 2014.
James S. Vlasto
James S. Vlasto, the youngest son of Solon G. Vlasto joined the ''Atlantis'' in 1955 after two years service in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
. He worked on the business side of the newspaper and later as a reporter and editor until he resigned in 1964 to join the campaign staff of United States Senator
Kenneth B. Keating
Kenneth Barnard Keating (May 18, 1900 – May 5, 1975) was an American politician, diplomat, and judge who served as a United States Senator representing New York from 1959 until 1965. A member of the Republican Party, he also served in the ...
of New York. Mr. Vlasto served as traveling press officer for Senator Keating during his reelection campaign. Senator Keating lost the election to
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
.
Mr. Vlasto later headed a political public relations firm in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
until May 1976 when he was appointed Press Secretary to Governor
Hugh L. Carey
Hugh Leo Carey (April 11, 1919 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He was a seven-term U.S. representative from 1961 to 1974 and the 51st governor of New York from 1975 to 1982. He was a member of the Democratic Party. ...
of New York. He later served as Press Secretary to New York City Public Schools Chancellor Joseph A. Fernandez.
He now serves as Project Director of the
Homer L. Wise Memorial Committee that is raising funds to erect a bronze statue in Stamford, CT of Master Sergeant Homer L. Wise awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
on June 14, 1944; one of the most decorated infantrymen of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
James S. Vlasto's oldest son is
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
,
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
winning, Executive Producer
Chris Vlasto and his youngest son is former Communications Director for Governor
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...
of New York, Joshua Vlasto
Pete Hamill
In 1958, American journalist and novelist
Pete Hamill
Pete Hamill (born William Peter Hamill; June 24, 1935August 5, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and editor. During his career as a New York City journalist, he was described as "the author of columns that sought to capture th ...
worked as the art director of ''Atlantis'' after leaving the U.S. Navy and studying art on the GI Bill.
In the midst of laying out one edition, he suggested to editor James Vlasto that running a few stories in English might improve circulation, and the editor challenged him to try his own hand at writing one. Hamill chose to profile a promising Puerto Rican middleweight who trained under
Cus D'Amato at the nearby Gramercy Gym. Hamill was paid $25 for what was his first published story, and the occasion boded well for both subject and author. By the time
José Torres won the world light-heavyweight title seven years later, his lifelong friend Hamill had become the lead columnist for the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
''.
Hamill wrote about his ''Atlantis'' experience in his best selling book, ''Drinking Life''.
P.J. Gazouleas
P.J. Gazouleas was editor of the ''Atlantis'' from 1960 to 1972 and later editor of the Orthodox Observer a newspaper published by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.
Archbishop
On May 11, 2019, the church's Hol ...
. Gazouleas was an influential adviser to
Archbishop Iakovos of America
Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America ( el, Ιάκωβος; born Demetrios Koukouzis (Δημήτριος Κουκούζης); July 29, 1911 – April 10, 2005) was the primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America ...
who led the Greek Orthodox Church in America for several decades.
''A tribute to P.J. Gazouleas''
''The Orthodox Observer'' May 2001.
Notes
References
External links
* [http://www2.hsp.org/collections/Balch%20manuscript_guide/html/atlantis.html Register of the Records of Atlantis, National Daily Newspaper 1894-1973, The Research Library of the Balch Institute of Ethnic Studies, December 1982]
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