NEAR EAST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 4 December 1922, Page 5

NEAR EAST

THt uREEK EXECUTIONS PRINCE ANDREW’S TRIAL

(By Electric Telegraph. Copyright.) (Ausirahan & N.A. Cable Association.) 110 .Me, Iter. I. .Mussolini slates that the Kalian Minister in Athens oid everything' possible to avert Lite execution ol' tin; ministers, lie approached Politics mi 4th November : but France acted otherwise, and this divergent action provoked the uagic end of the trial. .Mussolini icoord red the ilaliaii representatives not to recognise Idle new Government and reserves the right of recalling him ac cording to circumstance. ATHENS, lice. 1. Revolnl ionarics ordered Prince Andrew's trial to begin io-uuuTtiw instead of .Monday. The hearing will lake place in the Chamber ot Depmies. THU SENTENCE ATHENS. J)cc. 2. Prince Andrew was condemned to permanent expulsion from Greece, with the loss of all mililary rank. Evidence of the prosecution showed that Andrew disobeyed Genera! Papoiilas’s orders on the battlefield. Andrew contended that the orders, if carried out, would have resulted in the irreparable loss of an entire armv corps. NEW YOKE. Dec. 2.

The New York Times Washington correspondent states (hut. Die Greek ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs. GorniiJas, of the special commission who were sent to the United Stales to fur ther the interests of the Greek Government, announced Dm; he had cabled his resignation as a protest against the revolutiomup Government's executions. PARIS, Dec. 2. The Government is associating itself with the British and Italian protests against the, Greek executions and’making every effort to prevent further bloodshed. LON DOE, Dec. 3.

The most tragic Jigure among those executed in Alliens was Gounaris. Apparently lie was long apprehensive regarding the success of the Asia Minor campaign, as well' as his own safety, lie remarked at the conclusion of Ins unsuccessful mission to England to secure Allied assistance; "1 may be.going to my execution."’ It is slated that in February last lie sent a letter to Lord Curzon declaring that -unless the Allies gave immediate provision in men, .money, and munitions, the Greek army would be forced to evacuate, as it was not in a position to withstand a- Turkish offensive. Lord Curzon replied that he believed the pessimism was not justified, and later came Mr Lloyd George’s speech, which excited such enthusiasm that the Greeks held on till defeated.

SOVIET ASKS ANGOLA A QUESTION COPENHAGEN, Dee. I. The Soviet sent a note to the Angora Government asking for an explanation why the rebels in the Caucasus are equipped with Turkish arms inferring that Angora is encouraging the rising. CIVIL POPULATIONS SUGGESTED EXCHANGE LAUSANNE, Dec. 1. The territorial military commission expressed the hope that the TurkoGreek conflicts in Asia Minor will be ended by the accepted'principle of the wholesale exchange of civil populations. The scheme provides for transplanting 1.600.000 Greeks from Asia Minor and 350.000 Turks from Greece. STRAITS QUESTION LAUSANNE, Dec. 1. Tn compliance with the Russian request, the Straits question was adjourned by the Conference till Monday.

EVACUATION OF CHRISTIANS FROM THRACE NEW YORK, Doc. 2. A storm of protest lias arisen the Turks’ order for the evacuation of Christiarts from Thrace and the Allied assent. The New York Times calls it “one of the blackest days in civilisation.” White House, questioned regarding the United States position, pointed out that relief in America will he urged to extend all aid possible, and should an emergency arise cruisers with relief supplies will he furnished; but concerning the proposal that the United States pay the cost of removing Christians, ' who otherwise face death, the correspondent says that White House remained cold. Churches are leading a. protest movement and proposed Sunday sermons will, deal with the situation and appeal for United States aid. REMARKABLE DOCUMENTS

PARIS, Dec. 1. Le Matin is publishing remarkable documents, purporting' to be despatches from M. Venizolos to the Greene Foreign Office, covering lire dealings with Mr Lloyd George in 1920. Le Matin comments that the “duplicity displayed in this secret history is revolting when it is remembered'that it was instigated by the author of the Versailles Treaty. Mr Lloyd, George, with the assistance of a Greek Minister afflicted with megalomania, conducted the Greek people to disaster. The party destroyed the Entente, divided Europe, and brought on the war.” The most important document is dated London, 15th June, 1920, and is headed “absolutely personal, to, be decoded by the minister himself.” Venizolos, in a despatch, says, “Mr Lloyd George informed me it is impossible to count on Italy, which probably would bo !glad n the treaty of peace with Turkey i is not executed..” Mr Lloyd George : added that M. ■ Millcrand was sincere, i hut French public opinion would object j to sending an army to Turkey in order to impose conditions of peace. Mr Lloyd George was also confronted by difficulties coming from his own Foreign Office, and military circles, which was still inspired by the pro-Turk spirit of Disraeli. Consequently Mr Lloyd George asked me if Greece had (ho will to make the necessary military efforts to impose peace upon Turkey. Without hesitation 1 replied that Greece had the necessary force. Mr Lloyd George asked me to convince him that the British general staff over-estimated the value of the Turkish resistance.” Vcnizelos : “1 hope to occupy in Turkey a place equal to the Great. Powers and to obtain the supervision of the Straits.” Other documcnls show that Mr Winston Churchill and Field-Marshal Wilson- warned Vcnizelos to ■ carefully reckon up the Greek forces in order that they should not assume a task which might he too heavy, Vcnizelos also telegraphed to the Greek foreign minister after the Boulogne Conference slating that he had succeeded in getting Mr Lloyd George to adopt his

proposals for dismembering Turkey, which would thus bo reduced to the plateau of Antolia. TURKS PESSIMISTIC LAUSANNE, Dec. 2 Lsmet telegraphed to .Angora that the Turkish people should prepare to defend their rights in the near future. The Turkish delegation is decidedly pessimistic, hut (hough dilferenccs vvilli the allies have increased (here is siili time, in Lord Ciirzoii’s words, to smother the. beginning of a conflagration. PLAIN' TALK TO ISM FT I’AKiS, Dec. 0 I.e Matin's Lausanne correspondent reports that in order to hasten negotiations, i.Mi’d ( urzon summoned lsmet and spoke to him in the plainest terms and Israel roltimed to his hole! greatly moved. The- corrcspondenl adds “There is some talk of adjourning the Conference : but v.dml is lo be feared is a definite rupture, and probably Hie. talk about adjournment is intended to scare the Turks.

SECRET HISTORY \ PARTS, Deo. 1 Thu .Matin has begun the publication of the secret history of the Greek operations in .Asia .Minor. Tin; Athens correspondent of Dm paper is transmitting a scries of letters alleged to have been sent from M. Vene/.elos, .in London, in 1920, to the Greek Foreign Minister, and purporting io communicate the tenor of his conversations with .British Cabinet .Ministers. The letters declare that Die military policy was based on Die proposals of Mr Lloyd George, and mention the latter’s diim-nlties in consefptence.of Die pro-Turkish attitude of the British Foreign Minister and military circles, but Die documents do not show that the British "egged on” the Creeks. On Dm contrary, they counselled Die Greeks to take careful stock of the position.