TURKEY AND GREECE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3512, 5 July 1921, Page 19

TURKEY AND GREECE.

GREECE’S REPLY TO ALLIES ATHENS, June 2a. The answer of the Greek Government thanks the Allies for their offer to mediate, but declares that the situation is such that only military interests can lead its decision. GREEKS SURFER DEFEAT. PARIS, June 27. Advices from Constantinople state that the Greeks were defeated at Adabazar and were obliged to fall back to Ismid, which the Turks are reported to have occupied. A British warship rescued a number of Allied nationals. A communique from Athens admits 200 Greek casualties during a strong enemy attack in the Nicomedia region. The communique says that a Greek detachment was temporarily in a critical position, but reinforcements were -ent up and the enemy was repulsed everywhere with heavy losses. CONSTANT INOPLE'S DANGER. CONSTANTINOPLE, June 27. The Greeks, after evacuating Adabazar and Sabanja, are holding a shorter line covering Ismid. The Greek naval base has requisitioned all Greek vessels to embark troops and civilians, both Greeks and Armenians, from Ismid, to which 30,000 refugees flocked. Constantinople will thus be exposed to a Nationalist attack. LONDON, June 29. Advices from Constantinople state that the Allies asked the Greek command to delay the military evacuation of Ismid on account of the danger to which it will ex-

pose Constantinople. In the House of Commons Mr Cecil H armsworth (UmJer-fseeretary for Foreign Affairs) stated tnat he had received information that the Greeks had evacuated Ismid on the evening of June 27. The town was afire, and there was great panic in the district. Numbers of Armenians and neutral Turks were fleeing to Constantinople. There appeared to be considerable danger of massacres ns a result of the general confusion, but the Allied High Commissioners were taking all possible steps to prevent outrages. A Constantinople telegram speaks of the discovery of a widespread plot directed by Moscow with the object of producing a revolt against the Allies in Constantinople. The British authorities arrested 100 Russians, including three Bolshevik emissaries. - LONDON AGREEMENT REPUDIATED. * CONSTANTINOPLE, June 27. The Angora Government has sent- a message to the British High Commis sioner proposing unsatisfactory conditions for the release of British war prisoners and interned civilians. The proposals amount practically to a repudiation of the London agreement. MENACE OF BOLSHEVISM. LONDON. June 28. Advices from Constantinople state that a revere struggle rs proceeding at Angom between the Nationalists proper and the agents of the Cdbnmittee of Union and Progress, acting at the instigation of Enver Paslia and supported irv the Bolshevists. The Nationalists are anxious to arrive at a satisfactory agreement with the Allies, securing the withdrawal of the Greeks from Smyrna in order to enable them to turn their attention to the menace of the Bolshevists, who are concentrating a strong force around Kars, and are threatening Erzeroum.