MUDANIA CONFERENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 October 1922, Page 2

MUDANIA CONFERENCE.

CABLE NEWS.

_ •••—«- AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. MU DAN IA CONFERENCE SITTING.

LONDON, October 7. The Conference at Mudania has resumed.

The Allies have refused to allow the Kemnlist forces any passage through Thrace before the conclusion of peace. The situation remains strained. CONSTANTINOPLE, Oct. 7. A British communique states:—The resumed sitting of the Conference at Mudania was short, owing to the late arrival of the Allied Generals. Ismet Pasha’s attitude has softened since he received tho Angora Government’s reply, to the Allied Note . Turkish concentrations at Ismed are increasing.

The situation at Clinnak remains stationary, the Turks withdrawing from contact with our troops.

Ismet expressed pleasure at despatch of three Allied Commissions to Thrace as proof of anxiety to protect Turkish people and property. CONFERENCE HITCH. ""LONDON, Oct. (3. It, is nderstood that the Mudania Conference proceeded satisfactorily till yesterday, when the Turks sprang a surprise in demanding permission to immediately occupy Eastern Trace, before the Peace Conference, to which the Angora Government has consented, takes place. This occupation was demanded without adequate safeguards for the protection of minorities, and it also raised a political question with which the Allied Generals did not feel themselves empowered to deal. They therefore returned to Constantinople to consult their respective High Commissioners. The British Commissioner regarded the situation as so serious, that he decided to consult the Cabinet. It is understood that this new trouble did not arise from any difficulty with Greece. It is believed that M. Vcni.-e----los left London convinced that the Turkish occupation of Eastern Thrace after the Peace Conference, in accordance with the Allies’ Paris Note, "as inevitable. The present situation is entirely due the Turks’ intransigeame in making demands which would result in their emerging from the war stronger, both in Europe and in Asia Minor than before. Nevertheless, the Turkish double doalitm was not altogether unexpected. Consequently, the British authoritative circles do not take an over-gloomy view.

TURKS DEMAND THRACE. CONSTANTINOPLE, Oct. fi. Turkish papers announced that Ismet Pasha lias demanded the Greek evacuation of Thrace, and its surrender to the Kemalists, within one month, mdependeHlly of the Peace Treat'.

GREEKS REFUSE TO LEAVE. ATHENS, Oct. 6

It is officially stated that the Greek delegates at Mudania Conference refused to agree to the withdrawal of the Greek troops from Thrace. V Greek Government communique declares:—lt is the Greek nation’s wish to retain Thrace, and this wish should he observed. Only a rectification of the Thrace frontier will lie alM. Politos lias accepted the portfolio of Foreign Affairs in the Creek Ministry.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THRACE. ATHENS, Oct. b. A semi-official message states that M. Nider has been appointed GovernorGeneral of Thrace.

GREECE MODIFIES ITS TONE. ATHENS, Oet. 7

A significant semi-official communication has been given to the newspapers It. savsThe Greek Government is faced with the alternative of. accepting the Allied Note regarding the restitution of East Thrace* to Turkey, or offering battle at Cbatalia and thus risking the very existence of the State. The leaders of the country, particularly the military leaders, would he called on to express their opinions and decisions would he taken accordingly.

KEM A LIST FORCES IN ISMID ZONE. LONDON, Oct. 7

The Kemnlist cavalry is now invading the Tsmid Peninsula zone (near the Bosphorus), while Turkish troops are also concentrating further to the southwest.

TWO PEACE CONFERENCES. LONDON, October 7. After communicating their formula to London, Lord Cumin and M. Pomeaire discussed the Allies’ reply to the Angora Note on the Peace Conference. It is understood that there will probably he two conference. The first one will be at Scutari, or one at Prince’s Island, in the Sea of Marmora, between the first of November and the tenth of November, to settle the peace terms and to proclaim the principle of the freedom of the Straits. The second is to he held under the auspices of the League of Nations, and it will settle the regime for governing the freedom of the Straits.

To this Russia will probably be invited, on a similar footing to the other interested nations.

Tt is semi-officially stated at Paris that France "ill not consent to the presence of Soviet delegates at the Pe.ace Conference or -to the holding of the Conference at Smyrna.

The “Journal Des Debats” says that the Turks are acting ns the conquerors of Europe and are promising nothing. _ . It is understood the British Government may raise no .serious objection to the inclusion of Russia ; Georgia, aud the Ukraine in the Peace Conference, but the Freicli attitude is debatable.

BRITISH CABINET RESOLVE. LONDON, October 7. The gravest view is taken of the Near Eastern crisis in Downing Street. The Ministerial circles feel that a united front by Britain and France is essential against the Turks. - The “Daily Express” states the British Government has decided not to oppose the Turks crossing the Bosphorus into Thrace. The British will, however, hojd on to Clianak and Gallipoli.

KEMAL’S TOUR. CONSTANTINOPLE, Oct. 7. Kemal Pasha Is now going on a tomi of the reconquered territory, lit the course of wjijch lip will inoef fJphmj JTitrtipgton fit SfnflftnUi

BRITISH POLICY VIEWS. LONDON, October 6

Lord Islington and several other influential members of the Near and Middle East Association, in a statement, declared - : “The crisis in the Near East is, largely attributable to Britain’s unwise Eastern policy during the past three years. It should bo made clear to the Government that the nation will refuse to support any war which it believes to he unnecessary and to he honourably avoidable. All the questions that are outstanding riiould be speedily composed by negotiations based upon concerted action with the Allies. The past policy oF isolation and provocation should never have been assumed. It should be now finally abandoned. It is a policy’ which has entailed vast additional, and quite unnecessary, expenditure, and it has brought us to the very brink of war, the issue of which, at home or abroad, none can foresee.”

Mr Asquith and Sir D. MacLean,.addresesd a Scottish Liberals’ conference at Dumfries, which adopted a resolution that Britain’s foreign policy should aim at a. reconciliation with Britain’s late enemies; also the establishment of friendly relations with all peoples, and the amendment of the socnlled peace treaty to conform to these ends. The conference also affirmed a belief in the League of Nations as a safeguard against future wars and a means of fostering international goodwill. LONDON, October 7.

R.t. Hon. H. H. Asquith addressing the Scottish Liberals’ Conference, said: He had supposed that British diplomacy had reached the climax of clumsiness and ineptitude in the publication of the Balfour Note, but that had been easily surpassed in all the qualities which such a document ought not to possess by the communication from Downing Street appealing, to the Dominions which sounded like a note of provocation and of panic. It was, he said, issued without any intimation of it to the other Powers.

Mr Asquith declared:—All this strident rhetoric bugle-blowing, and flagwaving was wholly inexplicable, unless tbe prospect of war was well in sight. Had we been fighting Turkey to-day, we would have been single handed. Neither France nor Italy, he said, would have sacrified one man or fired a gun The freedom of the Straits was a matter of international importance and in no sense was it exclusively or mainly British.

CONFERENCE STOPPAGE. ROME, October 7. The Angora Legation has lieen informed that, while the French delegates at Mudania Conference, moved to accept all Kemul’s demands, the British ’ opposed their- acceptance. The conference was then suspended, while particulars of the situation were cabled to London. LONDON, October 7. . In connection with the breakdown of the Mudania Conference, it is noteworthy that the Frencii newspapers display a tendency to throw some blame oil tlie Greeks.

General Pelle has telegraphed to the Quai d’ Onsai, depicting the attitude of the Greeks very unfavourably. He declares that the fear of trouble over Thrace is in no way without foundation The Greeks already have burned some fifty .villages in Thrace. According to “Le Matin,” the French-* Government has received advices that the Greek delegation at Mudania refused t-o agree to any concession in regard to Thrace.**'**'' — — "LONDON, October 6. It is reported in official circles that M. Bouillon's recall is likely.

, TINO’S EXIT. ROME, October 7. The Greek Government has intimated that ex-King Constantine must leave the battleship Patris. The exKing is now installed at a hotel in Palermo.

VENIZELOS SUGGESTS SOLUTION LONDON, _ Oct 7. It is semi-officially stated tin London that the basis of the Paris discussion was a moderate statesmanlike proposal made by M. Venizelos for the Greek evacuation of Thrace, subject to the Allies guaranteeing the protection of the population. During a consultation with M. Poincare M. Venizelos told the French Premier that Greece was willing to immdiately evacuate Thrace up to Mnritza, and eventually to the 1914 frontier. M. Venizelos added that Greece would order that no reinforcements be sent to Thrace, but he asked that the protection of the Allied troops should continue in Thrace for six weeks.

BONtAR, LAW’S VIEW. LONDON, October 7,

Mr Sonar Law has at last broken lvis silence regarding the Near East. He sends a letter to “The Times.” He declines to apportion blame for the events leading to the present situation in the Near East. He considers “it is probably true that the British alleged pro-Greeks sympathy has alienated the Mussulman feeling in India and elsewhere; but if we had withdrawn from Asia, and allowed the Turks to crass into Europe, it would have been regarded in India as a defeat of the Btrifeh Empire. Nevertheless tlhe burden should not fall on the Empire alone. The task was not a specially British interest, but it was humanity’s interest. The Empire should not show any hostility or unfairness to the Turks; but Britain, for financial, and social reasons cannot itet as the world’s policeman. We should tell France that the Near East inasmuch a part of tho general peace settlement as is Germany. If she is not’prepared to support us in the Near East, we had better imitate the United States, and restrict our attention to our own imperial affairs.