NEAR EAST CRISIS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2493, 14 October 1922, Page 3

NEAR EAST CRISIS.

PROTOCOL SIGNED. DRAMATIC SCENE AT FINAL SESSION. Rome, October 11. ’■ Official.—The Near East Cinfer»ence opens at Scutari on November l. ■ - TERMS .OF ARMISTICE. Constantinople, Oct. 11. The protocol has been signed. It provides for the Greek evacuation of. Thrace, Adrianople, and Karngateh within fifteen days, they ber iiig replaced by the Allies, while the Turks will occupy the extreme east,ern section, immediately after the Greeks quit; the Turks to take over the middle portion.after thirty days, and occupy the western frontier of Eastern Thrace forty-five days after, when the latter term expires. ! • Allied troops, will, then retire west s of the Maritza. ' _ The line .separating the British and the Turkish troops covers the existing Turkish positions except Chanak, where the Turks will retire to the zone, bounded from Lapsaki .to Kunn Kale. It is also agreed that the British will not fortify the Dardanelles, while the Constantinople and Chataldja lines are retained by the Allies. Pending the Peace Conference’s decision, Gallipoli will" remain in the hands of the Allies with a mixed administration until the Conference decides who will hold it. The Turkish Government satisfactorily guarantees the protection of minorities'. A mixed commission controls the railways converging on Constantinople, -while the Greeks occupy, the regions traversed by them. FATE OF WORLD DECIDED ON BOARD SHIP. London, October 11. The “Morning Post’s” correspondent at Mudania says: “Now that the war cloud has melted, the Turkish leaders are inclined to forget the earlier impression that Britain was the chief villian in the piece, and now believe that Britain is prepared to regain the prestige of the Moslem world by doing for Turkey what she did for Egypt, without, however, exacting political control. “The final scene in connection with the signing was most dramatic. Before midnight the Allied generals took the text of the protocol to the Greek general, who was virtually interned upon the Greek ship Nemesis as .the Turks refused to have their old enemy ashore. At Mudania the hours passed, and still the generals did not appear. Finally, at 3.30 a.m., General Harrington came ashore, took a pipe from his pocket, and said, “It’s all over. Copies of the protocol are being typed. Yesterday I had no hope and I went to the Conference with two ultimatums, one in each pocket. They are there now. When a break seemed inevitable, I told Ismet ‘This is my last word, then I walked across to look at a map on the wall. Absolute silence reigned. Then Ismet asked: “Is this really your last word?” I put my hand into my pocket, fingering the ultimatum, and 1 replied, ‘Yes.’ Five minutes later I was hopemul for the first time in several days! He added: ‘Only the Chanak troops know how near it was to the first shot, which would have precipated a conflict.” The protocol was formally signed at 6.35 a.m. The room was crowded. General Harrington explained that the Greeks would not sign, as .they had no instructions. After General Harrington reviewed the Turkish troops, he returned to Constantinople. The Turks are jubilant over the . news of the signature of the armistice, which brings nearer their long pent-up desire for a return of the Nationalists to Constantinople.