RETURN TO THE MARITZA LINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 227, 25 September 1922, Page 5

RETURN TO THE MARITZA LINE.

FAVOURED BY ALLIED POWERS. j, FREEDOM OF DARDANELLES ESSENTIAL. | PARIS, September 24. | The Allied Conference on the Xear East has issued a Xote on behalf of Britain, France, and Italy requesting the Nationalist Assembly of Turkey to j inform them if it is ready to send representatives with full powers to a con- . ferenc. al Venice, at which Britain, France, Italy, Japan. Turkey, Rumania, j "Yugoslavia, and Greece will he represented. The object of the conference will | be (o negotiate final peace between Turkey, Greece and the Allied Powers. The Xote proceeds: "'The three Powers take this opportunity of declaring ] that they view with favour Turkey's desire to recover Tiirace a? far as the ! River Maritza and Adrianoplc, on condition that the Angora Government docs | not .end its army during or before the peace negotiations inte tho proclaimed neutral zones. The three Governments will be willing to support at the con- I foronoe the attribution of these frontiers to Turkey, it being understood, however, that steps will ho taken to come to an agreement to safeguard the ! interests of Turkey and her neighbours, io demilitarise certain zones to he j fixed with a view to making peace, to obtnin the peaceful re-cstablislimcut I of Turkish authority, and finally, to insure the freedom of the Dardanelles, j, the Sea of Marmora, and the Bosphorus, as well as the protection of racial : and religious minorities. "The three Governments are willing to support Turkey's admission to the League of Xations. They agree to reaffirming the assurances given in March j to withdraw their troops from Constantinople ns soon as tho peace treaty ! enters into force. They will use their influence to procure before the conference tlie retirement of the Greek forces to a line to be fixed by Allied j generals in agreement with the Greek and Turkish military authorities. The | Angora Government will undertake in return not to send troops into tho neutral I /ones, and not to cross the Straits or the Sea of Marmora. ! "A meeting might immediately take place between Kemal and the Allied ' generals to fin the abovomentioned line. The three Governments arc convinced I that their appeal will be listened to, and that they will be able to collaborate | with Turkey and the Allies to re-establish peace, for which the whole oivilised I world is longing." France is bringing pressure to boar on Mustaphn Kemal to persuade him not to attempt open hostilities against Franco's ally. Kemal has been informed | that tiic withdrawal of the French contingent from Chanak must not be | interpreted as a pretext for forcing the pace. France urges Kemal to exercise ; paticnoo. . Whether the Turks will violate the neutral zone depends nn a Ministerial ! Council now proceeding at Smyrna under Kemal's presidency. i Turkish officers communicated with the British at 'banal, asking for j information concerning the preoisc line of the zone, and gave assurances that there was no intention to violate the z.onc yet so far a' their troops are concerned.— lA. and N.Z. Cable.)