THE NEAR EAST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18747, 28 December 1922, Page 5

THE NEAR EAST

MINORITIES QUESTION. STATUS OF ARMENIANS. TURKEY’S PROTEST. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LAUSANNE, December 26. Tho Turkish delegation forwarded to the conference a vigorously worded protest against the decision of the Sub-com-mission on Minorities to permit Armenian delegates to appear and set forth their desires. The Turkish protest states: “If the Armenians are heard, Turkey cannot agree to regard the meeting as official, or that the declarations shall be placed in the official report of the conference. Inasmuch as the conference was called between the Allies and Turkey, no meeting at which Turkey was not represented will be regarded as official.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. BARRIER TO PEACE. ISMET PASHA’S POSITION. LAUSANNE, December 26. Tsmet Pallia has communicated with Angora, staling that unless ho is released from his orders not to give ground on the disputed points peace is impossible.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE PATRIARCHATE. CHANGE IN PERSONNEL. ATHENS, December 26. The Greek Government has notified tho Lausanne Conference that it is disposed to accept a change in the personnel of the Patriarchate.—A. and N.Z. Cable. ASIA MINOR DISASTER. GREEK TRIALS. ATHENS, December 26. Admiral Goudas and General Stratigos were publicly degraded in fulfilment of the sentences passed on them at the same time that M. Gournaris and others were condemned to death.—A. and N.Z. Cable. TURKEY’S THREAT. LONDON, December 27. (Received Dec. 27, at 11.5 p.m.) The Daily Express’s Athens correspondent says that it is reported that the Angora Government proposes to resume the war if the Lausanne Conference collapses. M. Venizelos has appealed to Great Britain to support the Greeks in Constantinople should the revolutionary regimo in Athens collapse.—A. and N.Z. Cable. CONFERENCE REASSEMBLES A STORMY ATMOSPHERE. THE MINORITIES QUESTION. LAUSANNE, December 27. (Received Dec. 27, at 11.5 p.m.) After three days’ vacation the Conference reassembled in a stormy atmosphere. It was decided, despite Turkish opposition, to hear unofficially the statements by representatives of the Armenians and Bulgars at a-meeting of the Sub-commit-tee on Minorities. The Bulgars demanded as indispensable to the resumption of satisfactory Turco-Bulgar relations that the Bulgar refugees, numbering 50.000, be allowed to return to Western Thrace. The Armenian delegates pointed out that 1,500,000 Armenians lived in Erivan, which could not sustain them, and they demanded the establishment of a national home for them in the province of Kar and round Lake Van, with corridor to the Black Sea, excluding Trebimxd, or alternatively a smaller home on the Gulf of Alexandretta.—A. and N.Z. Cab’s.