LAUSANNE CONFERENCE,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18736, 14 December 1922, Page 7

LAUSANNE CONFERENCE,

FREEDOM OF THE STRAITS. DISCUSSED BY EXPERTS. Press Association— By Telegraph—Copyright LAUSANNE, December 12. For the first time General Lebedeff and Admiral Behrens, Russian experts, sat with the Turkish and Allied experts to discuss the freedom of the Straits. Russia, however, was unable to discuss the proposals which were submitted without referring them to Soviet delegates.—A. and N.Z. Cable. EXCHANGE OF POPULATIONS. AN AGREEMENT EXPECTED. LAUSANNE, December 12. The Turks have agreed they will not insist on the total exnulsion of the Greeks from Constantinople. Several religious restrictions will he imposed on those remaining. Three hundred and fifty thousand Turks will leave Macedonia, and as a. compromise 124,000 Turks will be allowed to stay in Western Thrace. It is generally expected that an agreement will be reached regarding the exchange of populations. Owing to the Allied proposals having increased the number of warships which are allowed to enter the Black Sea, the Russians say they will not accept the proposals, and threaten to leave the conference.—A. and N.Z. Cable. MOSLEM MINORITIES. QUESTION OF PROTECTION. LAUSANNE, December 12. (Received Dec. 10. at 9.15 p.m.) Lord Curzon, presiding over the first commission, invited the conference to approach the question of whether the protected Moslem minorities in Europe were really entitled to protection. The League of Nations would provide guarantees to supervise its execution. Turkey had already accepted the basic principle of the rights of minorities. Mr Child (American Observer) demanded that the conference should not separate before finding refuge tor all minorities in the Near East. They must he given the guarantees necessary for their full development, and. if possible, thev must he given the national hearth promised by the Sevres Treaty. America believed that the ends to be sought were preventive rather than mere succour tp existing misery, and America would continue to help the minorities. Ismet Pasha, replying to Lord Curzon. objected to a guarantee hv the League of Nations, as the Powers would continue their interference with Turkey, and would incite the minorities to appeal to the League. He demanded the exclusion of all foreign interference in Turkey. While demanding exchange of populations, he assured -. the conference' that any community staying in Turkey would be assured of security through Turkey's goodwill and sense of iustice, and he finally demanded mass emigration. Lord Curzon replied to the demand for exchange of population, stating that it was impossible. Whatever exchange occurred, the minorities must remain. Ismet Pasha’s speech would cause disappointment throughout the world. He would wait until the following day for a further Turkish reply to the Allied proposals. Ismet Pasha promised that he would make a detailed reply.—A. and N.Z. Cable