The Daily News. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1922. THE NEAR EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1922. THE NEAR EAST.

The announcement that the conference at Mudania has reached a satisfactory agreement regarding the majority of the articles constituting the basis of the succeeding conference, at which it is hoped the matters in dispute concerning the future of the Near

East will be amicably settled, relieves the tension that has created of late very grave anxiety. The function of the conference was to create a modus vivendi that would enable a cessation of hostilities to take place pending the meeting of the main conference, and the initial success should cause much satisfaction, as it paves the way to diplomacy taking the place of armed force. It by no means follows, however, that the gravity of the situation has decreased, b.ut for the time being the delicate position of affairs at Chanak and the Dardanelles no longer rests on a slender thread that might break at any moment. The dangerous zone is now Thrace, which the Greek Government seems determined to hold at all costs unless prevented by the Allies, while the Kemalists are equally determined in their resistance to Greek tenure. It is quite comprehensible that the Greeks are just as keen on re-oc-cupying Thrace as the Italians were were to recover the Trentino, or the French to regain Al-sace-Lorraine. The Greeks colonised Thrace, after conquest, some five hundred years 8.C., and it is entwined in their subsequent history. Naturally the Turks are anxious to get rid of the Greek menace, quite as much so as were the French to be rid of the German menace, so that the task of bringing Greece to reason, m order that a permanent peace may be established, is beset with difficulties, especially if the Greeks refuse to be bound by any agreement that may be arrived at by the main conference that is to take place shortly. Apparently the Angora Government will welcome a peaceful settlement, so that the only serious element of discord consists of the Turkish Communists, who stand for c >mpiete union with Russia in foreign policy. Unhappily this last factor is one that may be utilised by the Turks to the utmost in

striking a bargain at the conference, but the menace to peace it the Soviet forces are allowed to take a hand in Near Eastern affairs is so great that the only safe course to pursue is to eliminate it without scruple. That can only be accomplished by inducing the Turks to see that British friendship is far more to their advantage than Bolshevik professions of help. The question is, therefore, what can Britain offer the Turks that will turn the scale ef sentiment in Britain’s favor?

Already the British Premier has intimated that if peace is obtained, then the Turks may occupy Thrace under the necessary guarantees for civil and religious freedom of the people, and according to boundaries to be fixed both for the Turks and the Greeks. The problem of the Dardanelles should really present no serious difficulty to solve. Britain will not swerve a hair’s breadth from the policy that the Straits must be open—and kept open—for all nations, so it would seem that international control must be adopted, such control including the keeping of Constantinople inviolate from attack, and thus enable it to remain at the head centre of the Turkish Government, the home of the Sultan, and of the Khalifa. It will probably be deemed necessary to provide for the security of all religions in Constantinople, as well as to effectively protect the lives and property of non-Moslems, but these are minor details. The outstanding difficulty at present is the Greek attitude as regards Thrace, but if the Allies are firm and united ori this and the other chief matters awaiting settlement, then diplomacy should register another victory. The mere thought of another war is so terrible that every effort to avert hostilities should be made. Inevitably there must be compromises, but these, it is to be hoped, will involve no sacrifice of the main principles on the strength of which permanent peace can alone depend. The success of the preliminary conference engenders hope for a satisfactory settlement of outstanding points in dispute.