TURKS AT WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1922, Page 5

TURKS AT WAR.

ASSAULT ON THE GREEKS. FIERCE FIGHTING SUDDEN ATTACK MADE. BLOW IN ANATOLIA. By Telegraph-—Press Assn.—Copyrieht- • Atben=. August 29. The Greeks evacuated Kara Hissar, an important town in Anatolia, which » occupied by the Greeks, before superior forces. All the Greeks in the 1903 class in the oceupi*. ’ territories have been called to the colors. It is officially announced that the important Anatolian railway junction at Afiun Kara Hissar has been evacuated by Ihe Greeks, evidently in consequence of e vigorous offensive begun by the Turks. Received Aug. 30, 5.5 p.m. Athens. August 29. A ranmunique states: ‘Owing to a violent enemy offensive we ordered the evacuation of Kara Hissar and occupied a line west thereof. We rep-'-ed an enemy cavalry charge at Elvanlar.”

BATTLE DESCRIBED. VERSION-OF THE TURKS. SUCCESS BY SURPRISE. Received Aug. 30 5.5 p.m. Constantinople. August 29. Mustapha Kemal’s capture of the Kara Hissar railhead is a crushing blow to Greece, whose forces are thus cut in two. Mustapha Kemal secretly massed picked infantry behind the lines last week. When an artillery barrage began at three o’clock in the morning, the Greeks were taken completely by surprise. Their batteries’ reply was unable to check the fierceness of the Turkish firing. and by noon a huge breach was effected in the Greek line. The Greeks fell back rapidly, and the Turks swept onward and drove the retreating Greeks into open country. They gut the railway and other communicat’ons between the northern and southern Greek armies.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Jlssn. WHY WAR CONTINUES. ABSENCE OF ALLIED POLICY. Received Aug. 30, 5.5 p.m. London. August 29. The Daily Express states the renewal of the .Greco-Turkish war is primarily only due to the vacillating British policy and inability to reach an agreement with France A Franco-British settlement could impose rwm= on both sides at any time. After the Greeks’ disastrous failure to capture Angora. France mode a separate agreement with Kemal end we half-heartedly supported Greece, though we do not owe her gratitude on account of her war behaviour. She is fighting a war of conquest with Turkey.