NEAR EAST CRISIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18674, 2 October 1922, Page 5

NEAR EAST CRISIS

TURKS FACING THE BRITISH TROOPS DEMAND THAT KEMALIST FORCES WITHDRAW A CRITICAL SITUATION FORMAL DECLARATION OF WAR NOT NECESSARY Press Association—By Telegraph.—Copyright. It is semi-officially stated in London that Kemalist troops are right up to the British positions in tho Chanak area—so near that they aro gazing at the wire entanglements and in some places arc actually on the shore of tho Dardanelles. Tho British military authorities are of the opinion that tho present state of affairs cannot bo allowed to continue, and the Government has therefore informed tho authorities that they will have complete support in demanding the withdrawal of the Kemalist forces from the Chanak neutral zone. Tho question of a time limit has been left to Generals Harington and Brook and the British High Commissioner. Our relations with Turkey arc governed by the armistice of October 30, 1918, and if Turkey breaks this she puts herself in a state of war; therefore, there is no question of any declaration of war.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

BRITISH FORCES AT GHANAEC. TURKS CLOSING IN. KEMAL SAYS HIS TROOPS WILL NOT ATTACK. Prma Association—By Telegraph—Copyrigh". LONDON, September 29. Official circles in Loudon are of the opinion that the British forces now at Chanak are sufficiently strong to hold on whatever happens; nevertheless, the whole aim of British policy is to do the utmost possible to prevent a conflict. There is no ground for believing ,that the Turks are anywhere inside our positions. A hopeful view is taken from the fact that, both in his communications with General Harington and with France, Kemal takes it for granted that the conference will be held; but the massing of considerable forces immediately outside the British positions leads to the presumption that if eventually the Kemalists decide to fight, they will seek to provoke us into firing the first shot, in order to be able to tell the Moslem world that they were forced into the war by the Christians. The reported abdication of the Sultan is still unconfirmed. With reference to the suggestion that the Turks should be allowed to enter Thrace before the conference, the official British view is that this is utterly impossible, because it goes beyond the programme laid down at Paris, where the Allies definitely decided that the Turks should not be allowed into Thrace excent by decision of the conference. If the Turks are allowed to cross Sea of Marmora prior to the conference, it would probably re-open the Graeco Turkish War, involving grave danger of that warfare spreading to (Europe. The Daily Telegraph’s Constantinople correspondent states that the Greek revolutionary, declaration to strengthen the Thracian front is considered likely to stiffen Kemal’s attitude, since he may consider that Greece will not accept any Allied decision about the retrocession of Thrace. French opinion in Constantinople tends to the belief that one of the reasons for the hostility shown to the Allied proposals is that they do not refer to the abolition of the capitulations, which extremists think cannot be achieved. _ If it is dope, it will mean the destruction of foreign capital and trade in Constantinople, which aspect of the question will hit hardest the whole French policy in Turkey. French sources aver that Kemal has stated that the strictest orders have been given to the'Kemalist troons not to fire a shot. Nevertheless, the Turks_ continue pacifically closing in on the British positions.—A. and N.Z. Cable. DARDANELLES NEUTRAL ZONE. AREA HELD BY THE BRITISH TURKISH INFANTRY REPLACE CAVALRY.

LONDON, September 29. The Star’s Constantinople correspondent states that the Turkish forces in the neutral zone at the Dardanelles are steadily increasing. The majority of the Turkish cavalry have been withdrawn and replaced bv infantry. The Turks now occupy the whole zone except an area 20 miles in length and 10 miles of a maximum depth, which is held by the British.—A. and N.Z. Cable. KEMAL’S SUGGESTION. BRITISH ASKED TO WITHDRAW. GENERAL HARINGTON MAKES COUNTER-PROPOSAL. CONSTANTINOPLE, September 29. In a message to the French general (Pellet, Konial suggested that the British should withdraw. General Harington replied suggesting a conference of local British and Turkish commanders with a view to tho establishment of a provisional neutral zone without prejudice to any line that may subsequently be established.— Reuter. DEFINITE STATEMENT BY KEMAL. DESIRES TO MEET GENERAL HARINGTON. CONSTANTINOPLE, September 29. Replying to General Hnrington’s telegram, Kemal declares that his troops will not advance further. He desires no incident to occur, and will seize the earliest opportunity for meeting General Harington.—Renter.

MEETING OF BRITISH CABINET. POLICY OF THE ALLIES. _ LONDON. September 29. Cabinet this morning further considered the Near East situation, which is still regarded as grave. Ministerial circles do not regard seriously tho suggestion by (Majorgeneral Maurice that the Turks should be allowed to pass into Thrace. It is pointed out that this is diametrically opposed to the Allies’ policy not to allow the Turks to enter Europe pending peace.—A. and N.Z. Cable. ’ INDEPENDENT LABOUR PARTY.

PEOTEST AGAINST GOVERNMENT’S POLICY. MEETING OF PARLIAMENT URGED. LONDON, September 29. The Independent Labour Party has drafted a manifesto protesting against the Government’s Near Eastern policy. The manifesto rejects the Prime Minister's claim that his policy was dictated by a desire for the freedom of the Straits, and urges that the policy was really dictated by British capitalism. The manifesto, therefore, demands a conference of all Near Eastern peoples and the immediate summoning of Parliament.—Reuter. Lord Denman, writing to the Westminster Gazette, demands the immediate summoning of Parliament to deal with the Near Eastern crisis. He is supported by Lord Crewe, the Hon. Aubrey Herbert, and the Marquess of Lincolnshire. Parliament will normally meet in November. -A. and N.Z. Cable. WAR MATERIAL FOR NEAR EAST STATES. PARIS, September 29. At the request of M. Poincare, the Finance Commission is hastening the delivery of £B,COO,OCO worth of war material to Poland, Czecho-Slovalda, and Rumania. A further augmentation of credit is being considered. The material is not to be used against the Turks. It is intended to protect the three States mentioned against possible attacks by Russia and Bulgaria.— A. and N.Z. Cable. PUNJAB MOSLEMS MBSB.ED. KEMAL’S GREAT POPULARITY. DELHI, September 29. Immense satisfaction is expressed by Moslems in the Punjab (which is regarded as the danger spot in India) over the news published in the Indian papers and said to have emanated from the Afghan Consul at Simla, to the effect that the Kemalists have occupied Constantinople and Thrace, Mustapha Hemal's photos are exhibited, and he is hailed as the “Protector of the Faith.” Everv move is watched with the keenest interest and with sympathies which are most outspoken and all pro-Turk.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

BOLSHEVIK AGITATORS. HELSINGFORS, September 29. The Soviet newspapers nublish a cable purporting to emanate from Allahabad, stating that Bolshevik agents have reached the Indian frontier via Turkestan. COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENT. STATEMENT BY MR W. H. HUGHES. MELBOURNE, September 30. In the House of Representatives, Mr Hughes, in a statement on the Near East, said the position was changing every moment. Now it pointed towards peace and now towards war. He suggested that Parliament should not be prorogued if war was probable. BRITISH ELECTIONS. MR LLOYD GEORGE’S INTENTIONS. LONDON, September 29. The Pall Mall Gazette states that Mr Lloyd George has abandoned his intention of appealing to the country this year.— \. and N.Z. Cable LABOUR AGAINST A WAR. GOVERNMENT ROUNDLY CONDEMNED. APPEAL TO LEAGUE OF' NATIONS URGED. LONDON, September 30. Air Arthur Henderson, opening the Trades Hall at Wimbledon, said that Labour was emphatically against tho Government mishandling of the Near East situation. The latest demand for the withdrawal of the Kemalists from the neutral zone on the Asiatic side of the Straits was not calculated to lessen the tension. He feared that the war party within tho Cabinet had gained tho upper hand. The Government was pursuing a- policy quite inconsistent with the spirit of the joint Allied Note, decided upon at Paris. Tho Cabinet, ever since the defeat of tho

Greeks at Smyrna, had maintained a bellicose attitude, and had threatened war when it should have striven for peace. It had made a. capital blunder in constituting itself the custodian and defender of the Straits, and when it had made a display of force instead of seeking a solution through the League of Nations. Many nations were concerned in the freedom of tho Straits, and it was a question which should be settled by many nations in conference, not by one by means of war. The organised workers would oppose to the utmost of their power the war now threatening. No war ever had less justification. If necessary, a, special conference of the trade union and Labour movement would be called to consider how to bring the Government to its senses and enforce a policy aiming at peace. A war would not settle anything, but would raise questions more important to the Empire and the world than the freedom of the Straits. “We made a million or so out of tho recent boom in gilt-edged securities and we are satisfied to let someone else carry on.” This is the decision of five out of the eight partners of Gordon, Askew, and Biddulph, who are well-kiiown jobbers in consols and dominion securities. Thc firm was able to offer more than a million worth of securities daily and was deluged bv public money during the boom. —A. and N.Z. Cable, EFFECT OF THE VERSAILLES TREATY. COUNT CZEENIN’S CRITICISM. WHAT HAD PROMPTED TURKEY. VIENNA, September 29 During the debate on the Peace Propaganda in various countries at the international Democratic Congress Count Czernin (Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary in 1916-1918) said there could he no peace so long as the Versailles Treaty, by which millions were condemned to the role of slaves, existed. Franco went to war owing to Alsace-Lorraine, but the Entente created a dozen Alsacc-Lorraines. If this madness was not removed, it would bo washed away with blood. Turkey had already done what all others would do when the moment came.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

LABOUR OPPOSITION IN SYDNEY, COUNCIL OF ACTION’S MANIFESTO. SYDNEY, _ October 1. _ The Council of Action has issued a manifesto which states that, in consideration of tile fact that the promise that the recent European war would be the last war had been dishonoured by the servile acquiescence of tho Prime Minister to the veiled commands of the British Imperialists to plunge Australia into another war in the Near East, the council had determined to organise workers in all industries so that the manufacture of army supplies and the transport of troops and war equipment would b? prevented at all costs. It was further determined to organise all the effective forms of opposition, including general strikes in kev industries and open-air demonstrations. The council also determined to secure adequate sanction from unions to declare such senera! or sectional strikes or to take other measures for quick, summary action in case of imminent or actual war being projected bv any Australian Government. The manifesto concludes by warning those individuals who precipitate people into such a war that they are personally responsible for the death' or the mutilation of any member of the working class resulting therefrom.—A. and N.Z. Cable.