SMYRNA MASSACRES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 October 1922, Page 5

SMYRNA MASSACRES.

RESPONSIBILITY OF POLITICIANS

(BY 'TELEGRAPH- —I'KESS ASSOCIATION.;

WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. In the House to-day, Mr. 3s. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) asked if the cabled statement by General George Hurries was correct, that we could have in five days more captured the German army and had a military victory, and that we/went as far as the politicians allowed us, and the armistice is responsible for the' massacre at ttmyrna. , The Premier said this question was a most unusual one, and any answer to it can only be a matter of opinion and nothing more. Turkey was not dealt with in the Peace Treaty signed at Versailles in-June, 1919, but in another treaty agreed to at Sevres about a year later than the first. Then, still later there was an agreement entered fnto, at Angora between France, and Turkey, which still further complicated matters. The result of them all was war between Greece and Turkey and i the defeat of the Greeks, followed by I the intervention of Britain and the crisis through which we are passing. "Many good authorities are of opinion that as a deterrent for the I future the Allies should have dictated peace on German soil," added Mr.

Massey. "I believe1 tneir doing

would have had a good effect, but it is quite impossible to say definitely that any failure in this; latter respect was responsible for massacre at Smyrna."