NEAR EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1922, Page 5

NEAR EAST.

A BALKAN COMBINE. COMMON FEAR OF TURK. REVIVING OLD BLOC. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. .London, Nov. 26. A reconstruction of the combination of Balkan States, similar to the Balkan League of 1912, is forecasted by Mr. Crawford Price, the Lausanne correspondent of the Sunday Times. He says the reappearance of the Turk in Europe has had the anticipated salutary effect in the Balkans, and events are tending rapidly to such a consolidation. If Greece offers Bulgaria trading facilities through Kavala, as well as Dedeagatch, and Bulgaria drops her impossible pretensions to Central Macedonia, there will be little to prevent the ieformation of the old bloc against the common enemy, the Turk. It is significant that the first proposals adopted by the conference represent a compromise of Greek and Bulgarian interests, plus the determination by the Balkan States with tne Little Entente behind them to Turkey of Thrace east of the Maritza River. RIVAL OIL CLAIMS. Lausanne, Nov. 26. There is keen rivalry among British. French and American interests concerning the concessions in the vlauble oilfields in Mosul and Mesopotamia. The Turks are claiming the restoration of Mosul, and. by skilful bargaining and bluffing, are expected to make substantial gains by playing the rival interests against one another. The An-glo-Persian Oil Company, in which the British Government is the principal shareholder, owns half the shares of the Turkish Petroleum Company, whicTi holds all rights of exploitation of oil in Mesopotamia. The French Government and the Dutch Shell Corporation equally divide the remaining half. Mr. Childs, in his speech at the conference, indicates that the Standard Oil Company, through the American Government, will assert its claim to a share in the Mosul oil. ALLIED MANDATES CHALLENGED. London, Nov. 26. The Lausanne correspondent of the Daily Express states that Mr. Childs’ open-door demands proved « bombshell for the conference. They interpreted it as a direct challenge to the British and French mandates in general and the British military possession of Mosul in particular. The only reply so far given is that if it desired to participate in the development of Asia Minor, the United States should accept the same responsibilities as other Powers. The Lausanne correspondent of the Daily Mail says: ‘•‘All the Powers have agreed that Turkey’s European frontier shall be the Maritza, with a demilitarised zone 19 miles on either side of the river. It only remains for Turkey to say “Yes” or “No.” LOYALTY TO CALIPH. London. Nov. 26. Adul Hadikhan. Afghan Minister in London, interviewed, declared that the Afghans would recognise the new Caliph, and they were at present satisfied with leaving the destinies of the Khalifat in Turkish hands, but such recognition will not be given if the Kemalists deprive the Caliph of his temporal power. A similar view W’as expressed by Dr. Najielasil, the representative of the Hedjaz. who said all depends on whether the Kemalists make a real Caliph armed with the full traditional powers, temporal and spiritual, or leave him as a figurehead devoid of real significance. In the latter case he will not be regarded as the real Caliph. The Kemalists could not dictate terms to Islam. The Moslem world will, in fart, decide who the Caliphs shall he. King Hussein had held this opinion throughout, despite the fact that, as a direct descendant of the prophet, he wa-j in every way entitled to that supreme dignity.