LONDON CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1921, Page 3

LONDON CONFERENCE

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. GREECE AND TURKEY. LONDON, February 22. It is understood that at the preliminary conference here, France and Britain were in agreement to solve the question of Smyrna by making it a semi-autono-mous State, under a Christian Governor, with half the police Turkish, and half Christian. It is also proposed to return Turkey one»fourth of Thrace. The Allies have decided to hear M. ' Calogeropaulos of Greece. This was - not expected. It has left a favourable impression on the Greek mission regarding the Allies’ desire for absolute fairness. The conversation at the Conference table was most friendly. M. Calogeropaulos, at the Conference, offered to dear Anatolia of Mustapha Kemal’s troops, if the Allies removed their embargo against the Greek Government raising funds in foreign countries. He said the Greek people were ready to make any sacrifice to retain the Treaty of Sevres. The Keinalist (Turkish) delegation arrived at Victoria Station to-night. Bekil Sarnie Bey, a rugged Kemalist leader, in a truculent interview with the “Daily Telegraph,” professed the deepest respect for Tewfik Pasha who was so kind, he said, as to send a representative to meet him on his arrival. He had no doubt both Turkish delegations would meet pointing out *" that both were staying at the same hotel though on different floors. Nevertheless, ho said, the Tewfik delegation represented nobody and nothing. The Kemalist were the solo legal" and legitimate representatives of Turkey, and would most certainly refuse to co-oporate with Tewfik though of course they could not precent the Conference from inviting Tewfik and his friends. Asked if he considered the Sevres Treaty between the Allies and Turkey a suitable basis for the re-establishment of an Eastern peace, Sarnie said: “If it were so, there would be no point in coining to London.” Despite ISamie Bey’is arrival is it semiofficially announced that the BriL tish Government did not invite the Kernalists. A FRENCH IDEA. PARIS, February 22. The idea has been revived of marking the limits of the German advance in 1918 by erecting obelisks inscribed: “Here the barbarian rush was stayed.”