ABROGATION OF THE 1918 AGREEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1922, Page 7

ABROGATION OF THE 1918 AGREEMENT.

FRENCH CONSIDER IT NOW INAPPUCABLE.

FOCH'S ESTIMATE OF FORCE NEEDED BY ALLIES. i . ■ LONDON", September 21. A semi-official account of the proceedings at the conference of Allied Foreign Ministers in Paris yesterday says that the Marquis Curzon expressed great astonishment at the fact that while the British Government had decided to reinforce its troops at Chanak, France and Italy had resolved to withdraw their contingents from the south side of the Sea of Marmora. Lord Curzon considered that this decision hardly conformed to the Allied agreements of 1015 and 101S, which provided for partial inter-Allied occupatii.il of Turkish territory. M. Poincare said lie regarded those agreements as at present inappliealjle, as no conliict whs feared wheff the allocation of troops was provided tor. lie added that French opinion would not permit French troops to act with the Greeks, and argued that if Chanak were held, the whole southern shore of the Sea of Marmora ought to he equally occupied. M. l'oincare further pointed out the military objection of the Allies lighting with their backs to the sea, and the undesirable effect upon tlie world if Britain adopted an uncompromising or bellicose attitude. Count Hforza (Italy), agreeing with M. Poincare, said that he believed that the Turkish Nationalists would entertain peace discussions on an acceptable basis. Marshal Foch handed M. Poincare a statement that Chanak could not be held in face of a real enemy attack without 100.000 soldiers and a licet to back them. M. Poincare handed Marshal Koch's opinion to Lord Curzon, Who forwarded it to Mr. Lloyd George. The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Express" reports that after a conference between Admiral ICarl Beatty and Admiral Grasset, the French Admiralty ordered several cruisers to proceed forthwith to reinforce the Allied fleet in the Straits. — (A. and N.Z. and Heuter.)