TURCO-GREEK WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 24

TURCO-GREEK WAR

BRITAIN’S NEUTRALITY. LONDON, June 13. The Australian Press Association understands that there has been no departure from Great Britain’s policy of strict neutrality in tho Turco-Greek war, which Britain took up in conjunction with France and Italy when the Greeks, without the consent of the Allies, launched their January offensive. Great Britain Has gone the length of placing an embargo on ine export of munitions, for which Greece iet large contracts in Britain recently. Cabinet has several times discussed the tvdvisability of departing from its neutrality owing to the recent Turkish outrages against Britishers and the failure of the Turks to set at liberty prisoners in accordance with their agreement. Cabinet has not yet reached a decision on the point. It is necessarily hesitant to fane military action, which Is likely to be unpopular owing to the country’s depleted exchequer. The chief motive for action Would be the punishment of ihc Turks, not Jhe support of the Greeks, though the latter may be the only instrument available. A further cause for hesitancy is 4he military weakness of Greece under vlhe new- regime, which i,s largely due to Jlie suppression of all the best Vemzelist officers. In the House of Commons Mr Chamberfain announced that the Government’s Uttitudp in the Near East will be one of the strictest neutrality. Great Britain Waa not committed to help the Greeks. A STORMY DEB \TE. CONSTANTINOPLE, June 13. There wa.s a stormy scene in the Angora Parliament during a debate on the Kemalfsts’ attitude towards Great Britain, the deputies exchanging shots. Mustaplia Kemal threatened to resign. GERMAN GENERAL’S VIEWS. BERLIN, June 15. General Liman von Sanders, in an .article in the Vossische Zeitung, estimates that Mustaplia Kemal’s army at Angora Aumbers 100,000, and is continually gtow-

ing. His artillery was largely increased bv French guns which were captured by the Soviet armies from Generals Deniken and Wrangel, and which have reached Anatolia. Tlie Turkish Nationalists hope to establish a sort of United'-States of Islam, with Turkey as leader. General von Sanders says it is unbelievable that Great Britain can think of giving aid to the Greeks in order to end Kemal’s empire. Kemal has protected himself by establishing a group of commands against a Bl&ck Sea landing. The memory of Gallipoli is not calculated to encourage a similar attempt, and a sea blockade would be useless. SOVIET TROOPS IN'ANATOLIA. LONDON, June 16. The Turco-Greek conflagration is now on the verge of bursting out. Both sides have profited by the lull to reorganise extensively. The Turks, who are expected to open the attack, claim that they have doubled their forces since the last operations, while Constantine’s visit to Asia Minor suggests Greek confidence. Rome newspapers report the arrival in Anatolia of Soviet troops for the purpose of aiding the Turkish Nationalists. Constantinople reports extensive Greek reconnoitring operations on the whole front, while an Angora despatch speaks of serious differences between members of the National Assembly.

An interpellation regarding the change of British policy towards the Angora Government provoked heated discussions.