CABLE NEWS. THE NEAR EAST.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1922, Page 2

CABLE NEWS.

THE NEAR EAST.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAnLE ASSOCIATION. M L DAN LA CONFERENCE. PARIS, October 17. M. Bouillon (French envoy to tho Far East), speaking to 7o pressmen, representing a full score of nations, detailed the inner history of the Mudania Conference. He took this as a means of replying to Mr Lloyd George’s attacks upon Turkey. He said that the arrest of the Turkish march upon the Straits has not been due to any British reinforcements, 'but to (the political sagacity of Mustapha Kemal Paslia, who has wished to show his desire for pence, and also show his gratitude for the concessions that have been obtained by tlie intercession of France, which has persuaded Britain to promise to restore Eastern Thraeo to tho Turks. The British measures of force, said M. Bouillon, have only hindered the conclusion of an armistice. For 48 hours, the situation at Mudnnia Conference was the gravest one since 1914. The victorious Turk army was ; within 40 kilometres of its capital. Yet it was. by Britain, asked to stop its further advance. For a while, peace was menaced simply because the Turks were asked to abandon tlie railway station at Adrianople, on the ground that it was on the other side of the Maritza River. It was a touching moment when General Harington. (Biitain) extended his hand across the table to Ismet Pasha and'said:—“We came as enemies, wo part as friends.” “I can imagine General Harington’s distress (said M. Bouillon) when he j roads Mr Lloyd George’s speech.”

DONOHUE DEFENDS BRITISH CABINET. LONDON, October 16. Mr Martin Donohue, the war correspondent at Constantinople states: “General Harington. receiving the newspaper men here, emphatically denied the published rumours of friction and discord as between himself and the British Cabinet in connection with the recent crisis. He said that he was a soldier pure and simply. He regretted that his name had unjustly (been coupled with political propaganda-. No soldier in British history, he said, had

received a greater measure of support from his Government than he. He was given a free hand. The British Government had unhesitatingly backed him throughout. General Harington stated that the evacuation of Thrace would be a difficult task, and it would not he minimised by the unfounded reports of incendiary outrages by the Greeks, which the Kemalists had announced, though the Allied Commissioners oil the spot had proved that the Kenialist tales are untrue. The Greeks, lie. said, are behaving admirably thus far. They are implicitly obeying the instructions given for the peaceful evacuation. SULTAN TN HAREM. (Received this dnv at 10.30 a.m i LONDON. October 17.

According to the “Daily Mail” diplomatic reports from Constantinople state the Sultan fearing rough treatment at the hands of Nationalists, has retired permanently to the tender sanctuary' of the Imperial harem. His Ministers dare not cross the forbidden feminine threshold consequently if is only through the mediation of Imperial Fennel's that high state dignitaries, as well as lesser functionaries, can communicate with their Sovereign.