THE REAL WRECKERS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 7

THE REAL WRECKERS

TURKS’ ERROR AT LAUSANNE CURZON EXPLAINS WORK OF CONFERENCE ALLIES’ GENEROUS TERMS Lord Curzon says the terms the Allies offered at Lausanne assured to Turkey a sovereignty and military and territorial security such as she had no'.'er before enjoyed. When he left Lausanne he was convinced that tne Turks, when they realised what they had done would be the first to recognise tho extent of their error. Within twelve hours he had told Cabinet that he vias of opinion the conference had succeeded. BY Telegraph—press association. —Copyright. (Rec. February 7, 10.25 p.m.) Loudon, February 6.

Lord Curzon, in a long statement to the Press regarding the Lausanne Conference, says:—“The first Commission’s work was completed. It rested with the Turks to accept or refuse the Allied terms, which placed Turkey in a position of political independence, and-assured a sovereignty and military and territorial security such as she had never before enjoyed. When the final Turkish reply was delivered it was found that the Turks accepted the terms of the draft treaty in all essential phases, including my insistence regarding the Anzac graves. Upon two points it was still open for me to make considerable concessions. I withdrew the restriction on the numbers of the Turkish Army m Europe, and also consented to postpone the invitation to the League of Nations’ Council to inquire into the Mosul question for a year, to allow friendly discussion between Britain and Turkey, subject to the maintenance of the status quo. With these concessions all the important issues between Britain and Turkey were finalised. It only remained to obtain Turkish acquiescence on points where French and Italian interests were more directly concerned —firstly, the cessation of . the substitute for judicial capitulations: secondly the financial and economic clauses of the treaty. Regarding the former, the Allies devised a formula which, went to the extreme limit of concession. Regarding the latter, M. Bompard ottered to further .examine the economic clauses. , Reparations Demand Reduced. “I yielded to the claim to reduce to almost vanishing point the demand for Turkish reparations by consenting to pay into tho reparations pool the value of two Turkish warships which Britain seized at the beginning of the war. Every apparent obstacle was thus’ removed, but nt the last momen tho Turks recapitulated exploded iormulas regarding Turkov’s sovereign independence. "VVo vainly exhausted every resource and argument. Lne Turks remained immovable. It was clear that for the barren satisfaction of sustaining a position which had loim been sapped, or on the off chance ot squeezing some further surrender, the Turks were prepared to forgo the chances of settlement. They will be the real wreckers of peace. Turks’ Recognition of Their Error. “When I left Lausanne I was convinced that the Turks, when they realised what they had done, would be the first to recognise the extent of their error. The reaction would assume definite proportions. Within twelve hours I told Cabinet I was of opinion that the conference had succeeded, not failed. At a moment, .when I had every excuse of complaining that Allied 'unitv had been endangered bv the action of outsiders, . I declined to swerve from the position that, it was only bv unbroken Allied solidarity that peace ’could be won. I preferred to fall with the Allies, while, helping to fight their cause, to winning a selfish victory on the field exclusively of national advantage. I will he contented to be judged by results. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. , (Rec. February 7, 8.5 p.m.) Paris, February 7. It is authoritatively stated that France supports the British Cabinet s decision to stand fast and demand that Ismet Pasha shall accept or reject the treaty.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CONFERENCE NOT FINALLY RUPTURED ISMET’S CHANGED ATTITUDE Paris, February 6. M Bompard has arrived from Lausanne. He says that tho conference is interrupted, but not finally ruptured. T . The newspapers welcome Ismet Pasha’s reported changed attitude as a tribute to British immovability in the face of repeated and intense efforts to 'divide the Allies. They point out. that Jsmet’s intractibihty increased with every rumour of Anglo-1' rench disunion. The “Petit Parisien” says: If pence is eventually reached, it will be due to tho fact’that, the Entente is not dead.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. TURKS’ GOOD INTENTIONS TANGIBLE PROOF WANTED BY CURZON (Rec. February 7, 8.5 p.m.) Lausanne, February 7. Lord Curzon lias telegraphed to Ismet Pasha demanding the exact terms upon which he is prepared to sign the treaty. H« informed M. Poincare that tho Turks must give tangible proof of their good intentions. -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. TURKISH PRESS CONDEMNS FRANCE (Rec. February 7, 8.5 p.m.) Constantinople, February 7. Tho newspapers join in a chorus of indignation against France, whom they accuse of keeping Turkey in economic servitude. —Aus.-N.Z- Cable Assn. foreign warships to LEAVE SMYRNA Constantinople, February 6. 'l'lie Angora Government has ordered foreign warships to leave Smyrna.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.