NEAR EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1921, Page 5

NEAR EAST.

TURCO-GREEK. WAR. »■— . .. BRITAIN’S NEUTRALITY. REASONS FOR HESITANCY, By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. I London, June 13. The Australian Press Association understands that there has been no departure from Britain’s policy of strict neutrality in the Turco-Greek war, which Britain took up in conjunction with France and Italy when the Greeks, without the consent of the Allies, launched their January offensive. Britain has gone the length of placing an embargo on the export of munitions, for which Greece let large contracts in Britain. Recently the Cabinet several times discussed the advisability of departing from neutrality owing to recent Turkish outrages against Britons, and the failure to set at liberty prisoners in accordance with the agreement. Cabinet hitherto has not reached a decision on the point. It necessarily hesitates to take military action which would be unpopular owing to the country’s depleted exchequer. The chief motive for action would be the punishment of the Turks, not the support of the Greeks, though the latter may be the only' instruments available. A further case for hesitancy is that the military weakness of the Greeks under the new regime is largely due to the supercession of all the beet Venezeljst officers.-—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. KEMALISTS AND BRITAIN. SCENE IN ANGORA PARLIAMENT. DEPUTIES EXCHANGE SHOTS. Received June 14, 5.5 p.m. Constantinople, June 13. There was a stormy scene in the Angora Parliament during a debate on the Kemalists’ attitude towards Britain, deputies exchanging shots. Mustapha Kemal threatened to resign.—Aus. *nd N.Z. Cable Assn. BRITAIN’S NEUTRALITY. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. Received June 14, 7.30 p.m. London, June 13. In the House of Commons, Mr. Austen Chamberlain announced that the Government’s attitude in the Near East would be one of the strictest neutrality. Britain was not committed to help the Greeks.