VERGE OF WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1922, Page 5

VERGE OF WAR.

EMPIRE’S NARROW ESCAPE. NEW ZEALAND’S RESPONSE. AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE. (By Wire—Special Correspondent.) Pukekohe, Last Night. “There is no question that within tne last few weeks we were on, the verge o-f war,” said the Prime Minister tonight when mentioning the recent trouble in the Near East. He had been asked then by the British Government if New Zealand would send men in the event of their being required, and after consultation with his colleagues he had replied that the men would go if they were wanted. (Applause). He had never liked the Sevres Treaty, under which peace had been made with Turkey. An impossible arrangement had been made, and the inevitable outcome had been another war between Turkey and Greece. The Turks got very thoroughly beaten. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives, and the Turks were prepared to take possession of the Dardanelles. If Kemal had not been checked he would have re-taken the Dardanelles, and almost certainly would have made an attempt to recapture Palestine. The banner of the prophet might easily have been raised in a vast and devastating war. The courage and firmness of the British Government and the tact of General Harrington averted the danger for the time being. He could not say whether or not it had been averted definitely, but what he would say was that New Zealand’s offer of men had helped to avert the danger. He was at liberty to quote the following cablegram, which recently reached the Governor-General: “Please inform your Prime Minister that New Zealand’s offer of contingents, and the great rally which followed throughout the Dominion, produced -a definite effect on the situation, as we know from reliable sources.—(Signed) Churchill.” That message meant that the Turks remembered the last war, and did not want to meet throe or four hundred thousand Anzacs again.