GREEK ATROCITIES.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 September 1919, Page 7

GREEK ATROCITIES.

OUT¢RAGEIS IN SMYRNA. MAN HUNT FOR TURKS. ! UNPROV-OKED BRUTALITY. , Tragic scenes followed tlie’ occupa:tion of Smyrna on May 15. The force isent by the Allies to occupy the city iconsisted almost entirely 0-f Greeks, gwho provoked some Turkish soldiers ito fire a few shots, and then started an ‘anti-Turk campaign of murder and pilllage. Unarmed civilian prisoners were Irobbed and bayonetted or clubbed. I Writing from Smyrna on the day of the trouble a correspondent says:— The landing ‘of the Greeks here this morning was tragic, and it is important that the facts should be laid fully} H)efol'c the Allies. At half-past ten the 3 lport was humming with the Greek} "transports, and Greek troops were marching along the quay The details of the landing had been arranged beforehand by the allied command, and, it these plans had been carried out, it is possible that the occupation would have passed off without any serious disturbance. ] Unfortunately, the Greeks marched’ their troops right along to Where about 3000 troops of the Smyrna garrison had been congregated prior to their purposed departure from the town. They trailed their coats, so to] speak. before the Turks, and immediately succeedcd in getting some fool-I ish soldiers to fire a few shots. The consequence was that a battle royal“ took place outside the Turkish bar-5 racks. ,

’ The Greek civil population joined in the fight and started Turk-hunting all over the town. The Turks, surrendering to the Greek troops for protection, were bayoneted and clubbed, and where the killing took place near the sea, were -thrown into the water, and, if not dead, were shot there. At one place 12 Turks under the escort of soldiers were atrociously killed. P.I'LL'AGE AND LOOTING. Pillage and looting started at once. Turkish houses and Shops were raided and robbed of all valuables; even the Government House was cleared out of everything, and in this the Greek troops are known to have taken part, The Turkish Governor-General, who was knocked down, states that his money was taken from him by Greek officers. - When the news of what had happened at Smyrna became known in the surrounding‘ villages Turk-hunting started. Everywhere rifles and bayonets were handed out by the Greek troops to the Greek civil population, and one could see boys of 12 and 16 ‘years running about with rifles or bayonets, shooting indiscriminately at nothing in particular. The Turkish villages in the neighbourhood of Smyrna were promptly looted, animals be-s longing to the villagers being carried] off, and, if resistance were offered, the% Turks were killed. . AN EYE-WITNESS’S STORY. 1 An eyc~witness tells the following! stol'Y.-—Fl'om. the balcony overlookinzi 518 (may I watched the disembarka—. ;tion of Greek troops from the translport Patris and a smaller steamer. ‘About 2000 troops marched off with fixed bayonets, accompanied by the ’Greek Archbishop in his robes, in the direction of the Turkish Konak. Shots were soon heard. The Greek cordon of sailors loaded their revolvers and illllllediately threatened onlookers from the windows and balconies. They appeared to fire at random, A single Turk was then seen being dragged along in the middle of the road and belaboured with rifle"‘butts , He was followed by about 40 Turkish prisoners, headed by an old Turk carrying. whitevflag and some elderly Turkish officers, all with fezzes removed and their hands in the air. They were marched along by guards. When almost opposite the balcony I observed civilians -with sticks, heavy pieces of wood, and one with an iron bar, rush on them and strike them on their heals, while the guards encouraged

the assaults. In fact, when the pris--oners endeavoured to ward off’ the blows, several guards also struck them on the head with rifle butts. MANY SHOT AND CLUBBED. ‘ A little later a guard. apparently becoming excited, raisedliis rifle am} fired-point blank at a civilian soldier. ‘Another civilian prisoner fell and was instantly bayoneted and kicked into the sea. Another was knocked down and bayoneted on the ground. After that the brutality knew no bounds. A civilian prisoner at the rear of tlie column wasbayoneted and left on the tramway lines. Others were shot or clubbed until, after the group had passed, I counted five dying or dead on the tramway lines and’ two in the water. « The latter remained floating there for some time_ The

Ellockets of the dead and Wounded ‘were rifled by several civilians and soldiers. ‘ g it must be remembered that these .pri:<oners were unarmed, marched un€lol‘ 11 White. flag, Offered no resistance whate\'er_. and 3.11 the tilné held up ““19i1' hallds- M3113’ of them were old } greyheaded men. E lndiscriminate firing at the windows [facing the quay took place, apparently ;because armed Turks were sniping. §PeI‘SOIIaIIY; 3«1th011g~h several windows near by were fired at by the Greek ‘troops, I saw no Sign of Turkish snipiing in this neighbourhood. j GROUPS OF PRISONERS. , Further .gl‘ollDs of Turkish prisoners ‘were being brought along a"c'inter\'2ls, and similar treatment was accorded '_them. Their fezzcs were removed in {every case, and their guards clubbed [them With rifle in order to force them ito cry, “eto Venizelosl” [ During the rest of the» day it. was iimpossible for anybody wearing a fez to walk in the streets. All suspected {Turks were immediately taken prisonlers, whether armed or not. and were, in every‘ case that has come to my notice, robbed of all their valuables. Promiscuous firing for the last 48 hours taken place in Boudja, near Smyrna, to the danger of all English and other inhabitants, and I have seen Turkish houses being looted by vindictive Greek peasants, armed with rifles, without military control. The password “Libertyyx” adopted by /the self-constituted armed guards, is a proof of the light in which this so’ealled peaceful occupation is regard-‘ ;e<l. . " '5