CONSTANTINOPLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18244, 10 November 1922, Page 9

CONSTANTINOPLE.

DISQUIETING SILENCE. TURKS CUT GABLE. ACUTE TENSION IN CITY. BRITISH SOLDIERS KILLED. ISMET PASHA'S VISIT. RETURN TO ANGORA. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 11.50 p.m.) Filter. LONDON. Nov. 9. Disquiet is felt owing to complete absence of news from Constantinople since a message wna veceived announcing that the Turks had reiterated their demands. Messages now coming by indirect rentes show that the silence is due to the Turks having cut the cable. Martial law has not yet been proclaimed. Two British soldiers were murdered at Kissim Pasha, a suburb of Constantinople. * An earlier message from Constantinople stated that Isniet Pasha, Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish National Army in the West, held a conference with the Allied High Commissioners, and then left for Angora, where he will report to bia Government on tho crisis.

The Bourse is closed. Turkish exchange

is depreciating hourly, and merchants are cancelling orders. The new customs tariff has disorganised trado. The new Government is in a deplorable state financially, and cannot pay its officials regularly.

The Grand Yisier has sent a final appeal for reconciliation between the Porte and the Angora Government.

Contradictory reports are current regarding the Sultan. One says that he has been carried off by Nationalists; another that the Sultan is aboard a British warship.

The greatest tension prevails in the city, and a clash seems inevitable if British forces guarding the Galata Bridge continue to prevent Turks from traversing the Grand© Rue. Concealed 'machineguns are posted at the end of the bridge and in houses overlooking it. The guard has been' strengthened by motor-care armed with machine-guns.

It i 3 officially stated that the Allies are firmly resolved to maintain the position existing in Constantinople at the time the Mudania armistice was signed. The High Commissioners aro sending a Note to the Angora Government demanding observance "of the convention. GRAVE VIEW IN.FRANCE POSSIBILITY OF WAR, FORCE MAY BE NEEDED. deceived 10.5 p.m.) Times, PASIS. Nor. 9. Franco views the situation most gravely. An immediate meeting of the Lausanne Conference is regarded as essential, as the situation is steadily- getting beyond control. The Ac.gorc Government has demanded in addition to the abolition of the capitulation, a plebiscite to determhe the future of West Thrace, the return of Mosul, complete independence of Turkey, and an indemnity of £240,000,000 sterling from Greece. The naval forces and Allied troops at Constantinople are computed at 30,000 British, and £000 French. The EYench press is now almost nnani-m-ras that the Allies must use force if necessary to make the Turks respect them. There is a general demand for sending reinforcements to the Near East. The cruiser Waldeck Rousseau has gone to Constantinople. The Temps says: "We are confronted with the possibility of war between the Turks and the Allies, the former relying on Soviet Russia, which has become the arbiter between Asia 1 and Europe." The Constantinople correipondent of the Petit Parisien states that the Turkish Nationalists expelled the French Consul from Brusa. They informed him that Turkey was still at war with France, therefore 'the staff of the Consulate must leave, but could return in two days. A French military despatch-bearer from Brusa to Constantinople was arrested and imprisoned. Nationalists attempted to examine parcels in the Italian Post Office at Galata, but were prevented by Italian troops. They have seized the customs receipts, and notified all European customs employees that they muat leave. Recalling Marshal Foch's statement, the Petit Parisien adds that the Turks can be prevented from passing the Straits without great military force, and points out that the Allies can easily reinforce the troops by appealing to their Balkan allies. There are reasons for thinking that Rumania particularly would send troops to Constantinople on a unanimous invitation from the Allies. ■ TURKISH MOTIVES. KEEPING ARMY TOGETHER. United Service. LONDON. Nov 8. . Colonel Hughes, of the Australian Graves Commission on Gallipoh regards the Turkish demands as a natural move in internal tactics. He declares that the first rains have come, and the conscripted army of peasants, having achieved their objectives are becoming impatient, and unless . kept moving will dissolve, 'leaving Kemal powerless. If the Turks start a war they realise that .they vrill create a most serious position.' Every Greek would volunteer in addition to the three army corps already on the Marital, of entirely different mettle from those which fled from Smyrna.

EXCHANGE OF NATIONALS.

DR. HANSEN'S PROPOSAL.

Australian and N-Z. Cable Association, flfccd. 8.6 p.m.) LONDON. Nov, 8. Dr. Nanaen has asked the Angora Government to negotiate for an exchange of Turkish Nationals with Greece, but the Turkish Nationalists expect that the negotiations will prove abortive, owing to Greek opposition to the evacuation of. Constantinople by 400,000 Greeksl collectively possessing enormous wealth, u the Greeks go, other foreigners must follow, which would ruin the c»mjaerce.