NEAR EAST

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 September 1923, Page 4

NEAR EAST

GREECE DOES PENANCE.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable

LONDON, September 19. The funeral of the late General Tellini and the other victims of the Janina murders was to-day solemnly celebrated in the presence of all the Government and diplomatic staffs. Simultaneously an Allied Squadrun entered the Bay of Phaleron, led by the Italian warships, and followed by the British and French warships. The Greek Fleet fired a salute of 21 guns. The Commander of the Allied Squadron was then notified of a Requiem for General Tellini. Thereafter, the Allied Squadron withdrew, returning the Greek salute. Thus the principal conditions of the Ambassadors’ Note were fulfilled.

OFFICERS RELEASED. ATHENS, September 19. General Stratigos and Admiral Gondas, arrested in November last, have been released.

BUI GAR lAN COM MUNISTS.

LONDON, September 19. The. “Daily Express’s” Sofia correspondent says: The Government has arrested 1500 Communists, and has sus pended the Communists’ newspapers. It searched the Communist clubs, and seized a quantity of small arms, machine guns, and compromising documents. This action is believed to have nipped in the bud an attempt to engineer a revolution planned for this week. GOVT. TROOPS DEFEATED. LONDON, September 20. Mr DonjOghue, the “Daily Chronicle’s” special Belgrade, correspondent, telegraphs : News has j ust been telephoned from the Bulgarian frontier, stating the struggle for supremacy is proceeding between Zancoff Govern-

ment troops and followers of the late Premier Stambouliski. The Zancoff Government was completely surprised and unaware that the Agrarians and Communists had obtained arms, and were prepared for fighting The Government have the situation well in hand at Sofia, where they effected wholesale arrests of the Communists, but severe fighting occurred south and south-west of the capital. Gendarmerie, troops, armoured cars, and machine guns have been hastily despatched thither. The insurgents at Radomir, which is a Stambouliski stronghold, defeated a combined force of gendarmerie and regulars, after severe fighting, wherein hundreds were killed on both sides. A provisional revolutionary Government is already established at Radomir, the roads being torn up to prevent the advance of the Government forces. Severe encounters occurred at Karlovo, Dupnitza and Sakovo, where the revolutionaries were numerically superior to the Government forces, and captured arms and ammunition, neither side taking prisoners, the wounded men being bayoneted or shot. The Zancoff Government has taken refuge in the Sofia Military Club, and has called out the reserves and believes that it can overcome the Hsing, as the army shows no sign of defection. JUGO-SLAVIAN ATTITUDE. The veteran Premier of Jugo-Slavia is also faced with serious national danger resulting from the triumphs

of tlie Italian policy in the Adriatic, culminating in the occupation of I’iume, and the inenace of Comitadji activity in Alacedonia. Also, the thinly veiled hostility of Bulgaria, which seems to be waiting for a favourable opportunity to seize the coveted prize of Macedonia. The army is irritated, and feels humiliated, and considers Jugo-Slavia has already gone too far along the road of concessions. It is not impossible that the Cabinet will be succeeded by a military dictatorship. The Italians are reinforcing the Fiume frontier line, and the Serbs have withdrawn for fen miles in order to avoid a conflict. COUNT’S LAND SEIZED. BUDAPEST, September 19. The Rumanian Government has confiscated the landed State in Transylvania. belonging to Count Bcthlen. The land will be divided among neighbouring small land owners.