THE NEAR EAST PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17617, 21 November 1922, Page 7

THE NEAR EAST PROBLEM.

) Stftrm~« oKE jgUCULENT.

ifI OBSSI^ ATCON -

ft &*~£"& C * bl * A,socl,ltlon - ) ***« «nbcr 90th. 7.55 p.m.) *;««n!e correspondent or prerogative, at J** Ato enormously encourtheir attitude for the complete unreining state of capable of disavowing debates if the l,tter * Il trw realisation of the posiAllied accord is recog- *?£, chief hope of impressing «th the necessity for med*r it is understood they havo *£ to demand the restoration or *£**wier.ty ° vcr tbe stia,ts ' which the Allies are 'rtifarnlng Post's" Constantinople ■*itreports that the Turks control o? the former Ka amnito dumps in Constantly »tfek ti» Allies have control- • !3»tl» Madras armistice was sign-' r jSg This action! has caused Alfaufaaiioo. One of the gravest jfr. tb» AlHed generals are dis2TfHb R»fot Pasha is that of £beafedi wluch' is the sole means Section from Nationalist violence. yiWu ii insisting on the transfer 5jL) Jo tbe Turks. No agreement l, iS»«*ed' Turkish attempts to ;,jg geroed nwal vessels were frus■m ,_ i

(JKJpfE CONFERENCE. ■ |j«B POLICY AGBEED UPON. Kowmber 20th, 7.55 p.m.) November 20. ; Mm|JP conversation beall questions in v|mHm|i once more ■■ back Hpfe^['^ F OALLIPOLI. HHffilijfjlsf administrative The calculated)

Mohammed VI. thereupon called a dynastic council at Yildiz Serai, where Prince Selim and Prince Abdul Hahm, \,bo came next in succession, said they associated themselves with AWul Medjid, as they, too, considered that Turkey was degraded by accepting the Pear*. Treaty. Mohammed is reported to havo told the princes they were playing into the hands of Kemal Pasha and the Angora rebels. In the end the Sultan declared that he would not accept the renunciations, but would hold them ovej. About nine months later Muetnpba Kemal and his Angora Parliament declared Asia Minor independent, and invited Prince Abdu! Medjid to brinsc a throne over and become Sultan of Anatolia. Mohammed called another dynastic council, when the entire royal family passed a resolution condemning the Nationalists, and declaring their loyalty to the Sultan.]

THE EX-SULTAN'S PLIGHT.

CONSTANTINOPLE, November 19. The newspapers generally condemn the Sultan's flight which they regard aa simply the escape- of another traitor, who "had already fallen by his own ccti>. The newspapers' opinions, however, are not regarded as entirely spontaneous, but definitely inspired by the Na» tionalifits. Mohammed took away jewels. He recently received all arrears in his civil list payments. Conditions at the Palace are Raid to he chaotic. All servitors of tlis late Sultan have gone over to the Kemalists. The Sultan, before his" departure, made the somewhat embarrassing request to Sir Charles Harrington to look after his wive* and family. It seems likely that some of the former may desire to join the husband abroad. MALTA, November 19. The Sultan is expected to arrive incognito to-morrow. He will be accommodated in the artillery officers' spacious mess. Everything is being done to secure his comfort. Later. The battleship Malaya baa arrived with the ex-Sultan on board.

PLIGHT OF CHRISTIAN REFUGEES.

THOUSANDS IN WANT.

LONDON, November 19,

Dr. Birt, international commissioner of the Near East Relief Federation, who has arrived from Athens en route for New York, stated that the two shiploads of food and clothing from Australasia saved thousands of lives. The perishing refugees paid a tribute ta the Australians and New Zealanders who, he said, were amongst the most generous people in the world. The Federation in co-operating with the London Lord Mayor's fund in administering; 229 orphanages, containing over 100,000 orphans. . Between 50,000 and 100,000 Greek refugees are encamped,without shelter in Athens and Piraeus. They are mostly women and ..children. About onethird of them are threatened with death Jrom cold; and stairyntion. Dr. Birt appeals toAustralia and New Zealand to jjontinue the relief shipments, because another Christian r«fu> ;will probably be homeless in the coming winter, as . Mustapha Kemal Pasha, has decreed the expulsion of all Christians from Asia Minor. Before the end> of thai year he expected the arrival of a number of Australasian officials, including the Rev. J.. Itoberteon Orr, of Wellington, This would ensure .thie, Australasian .-administration of Australasian relief shipments. ' Dr. Bift estimates there are cbput 16,000 eligible immigrants between the ages of fourteen and sixteen among the orphans. He intends to ask the American Government to permit the settlement of some thousands there, and will also appeal to the Dominions to extend to these orphans the same facilities as are accorded Barnardo orphans.

THE GREEK DISASTER.

REPLY TO BEITISH PEOTEBT. ATHENS, November 19. The Greek Government has drafted a [ reply to the British protest against the inflicting,of the death penalty on ex-' i .Ministers or others who may be found guilty in connexion .with the. Asia 1 Minor disaster. The reply defines the Greek viewpoint, and leaves a way open for further discussion.

The Greek Socialist Party has telegraphed to the British Labour Party, asking whether they are aware of the British Government's intervention in favour of the Greek people's destroyers and protesting against what they term "this undemocratic intervention."