THE NEAR EAST

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 17

THE NEAR EAST

A TURKISH PROTEST. CONSTANTINOPLE, January 22. Adnaan Bey, Civil Governor of Constantinople, has sent a Note to the Allied •High Commissioners protesting against the Greek activities in Western Thrace. He asks for a clear assurance that the Greeks will respect the provisions of the Mudania Convention, otherwise the -Turkish Government will be obliged to consider the convention non-existent. ATHENS. January 27. The Allies have warned Greece of the danger of concentrating troops in Thrace and suggested their withdrawal to a line .west of the Maritza. THE MOSUL PROBLEM. LAUSANNE, January 23. At the plenary session of the conference Lord Curzon proposed that the Mosul question should be referred to the League of Nations, intimating that Britain was ready to abide by the result. LONDON, January 23. Ismet Pasha rejected Lord Gurzon's offer to refer the Mosul question to the League of Nations. On the Mosul question the Turks reiterated their claim to the entire Vilayet. Lord C'urzon proposed that the future of the northern frontier of the mandated territory of Irak should be referred to the League of Nations. M. Barthou (France) considered Lord Curzon’s offer that Britain would abide by the decision of the League of Nations extremely liberal. He fully associated himself with it. M. Garroni (Italy) also supported this, abd urged that the Turks should accept the British suggestion. Ismet Pasha stated that he would reply this evening. The Turks are now considering their rep*y . ! STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF MOSUL. LAUSANNE, January 24. Lord Curzon at the Conference said Britain was under a threefold uledge —firstly, to the Arab nation whom she had promised that Mosul would not be returned to Turkish rule; secondly, to King Eeisul; and thirdly, to the League of Nations. Lord Curzon added : “Mosul is in the • hands of the people themselves. It is not garrisoned by British troops, but by native forces. The southern portion of the district is only 60 miles from Baghdad. A Turkish army at Mosul would have Baghdad at its mercy, and could reduce it by starvation, making the Arab kingdom impossible. Oil has had nothing to do with my arguments. I do not know anything about oil, and 1 have never negotiated with any oil magnates. Everybody . here cannot say the same.” .Lord Curzon, concluding his speech, r i warned Ismet Pasha in the plainest terms that his rejection of peace through the . League of Nations would be opposed by ; .the League’s full organisation. If Turkey refused to state her case before the .Council of the League, all the Leagues sanctions would be enforced upon her. “I am here to make peace, not war,” said Lord Curzon, “ therefore 1 cannot suffer conditions making for war. The re- . jection would endanger Mosul, and would make war possible. If Turkey persists in her. refusal, we shall invoke the eleventh article of the League pact, providing for action in case of a danger of war.” Ismet Pasha, replying, flatly contradicted the British statement. He declared that Mosul belonged naturally to Anatolia, and not to. Mesopotamia. Her natural trade outlet was the Mediterranean Sea, and not the Persian Gulf. He said the British had illegally occupied Mosul after the war, which was a breach of the Mudros Armistice. He declared that the whole country clamoured for its release from foreign control, and for restoration to Turkey. British protection was simply cloaked political and economic absorption. Ismet Pasha refused Lord Curzon’s proposal, and pressed for a plebiscite of the vilayet. - '4 K - ' GALLIPOLI GRAVES. LAUSANNE, January 23. ' The Graves Sub-commission is faced by the refusal of the Turks to include in the category of Allied cemeteries the area at Ari. Burnii, where so many Anzacs were interred. , The Turks insisted that the area should be restricted in order to comprise only the graves already identified, and to exclude the adjacent land, which Australia and New Zealand wish to secure. The British were unable to consider the surrender of their claims, and refused further to discuss the Question. The French and Italians fully support the British. LAUSANNE, January 24. Plain talk was used at a meeting of the Graves Sub-commission, when the Turks made a monstrous demand that the Anzac cemeteries on Gallipoli should be dug up and made smaller. The British flatly refused to consider the proposal, and plainly informed the Turks that the British troops occupying Gallipoli would not budge until an assurance was given that the cemeteries would be respected. LONDON, January 25. Major-general Sir Fabian-Ware (Direc-tor-general of Graves Registration) states he is keeping in closest touch with Sir James Allen and Sir Joseph Cook, with reference to the Turkish intransigence over the Gallipoli graves. Lord Curzon’6 g.tti.tude.at Lausanne was most emphatic that there was no intention to yield in the slightest degree over any clauses of the

Sevres Treaty relating to Gallipoli graves. Sir Fabian-Ware added that he would make' it clear that the Graves Commission's staff on Gallipoli, under Colonel Hughes, as everywhere else, was entirely a civilian organisation. The Commissions in every battle area steadfastly refused to countenance moving graves, except where it was absolutely necessary for samtarv reasons. LAUSANNE, January 26. The Graves Sub-Commission held a final meeting in the forlorn hope of inducing the Turks to modify their attitude regarding the Anzac zone and 16 cemeteries in otfier parts of Gallipoli. The area of the Anzac zone is about two and a-half square miles, the whole of which, apart from the actual Australasian cemeteries, consists of a mass of trenches in which scattered bones are still tov.nd from time to time. The zone, therefore, may properly be regarded as one huge cemetery. The lurks again absolutely declined lo grant the ownership of anything except the actual enclosed cemeteries. The British delegation's reply was the same as yesterday—namely, “We decline to dis turb our dead, and we will not leave Gallipoli until the safety of the graves is assured.”. The deadlock is therefore as complete as possible. Meanwhile the British have agreed that if further cemeteries for scattered bones still unburied must be made they will consult the Turks with a view to fixing the sites. January 27. Af a meeting of the First Commission the Turks again refused to hand over the Gallipoli cemeteries in their entirety. Ismet Pasha remarked that the cemeteries might serve the Allies as strategic bases in the future. Lord Curzon, who presided, declared : “I am sorry that Ismet has not taken the opportunity now afforded him of carrying out his elementary duties of humanity and honour.” LONDON, January 26. Sir Joseph Cock, in an interview, stated: “We are following with the deepest interest the Lausanne graves controversy, which, is also receiving constant attention from, the Graves Commission, on which all the dominions are represented. Every possible human effort is being made to keep that sacred piece of ground. Lord Curzon and Sir Fabian Ware are doing their utmost. ” TREATY NEXT MONTH. LAUSANNE, January 24. It is now arranged that the Treaty will be presented to Turkey at a plenary sitting of the Conference on February 1. The delegations will leave Lausanne at the end of the week, but one representative of each delegation will remain in case the Turks require explanations. If the Turks decide to sign the Treaty the heads of the delegations will return to Lausanne to sign. BRITAIN CALLS ON LEAGUE. LAUSANNE, January 25. Lord Curzon has written to the secretary of the League of. Nations requesting the Council's attention to the dispute regarding the frontiers between, the Turkish dominions in Asia Minor and the mandated territory of Irak. Lord Curzfm adds: “As I had publicly announced on behalf of the British Government its intention to refer the matter to the League, I have asked that the subject shall be included in the Council's agenda for the ensuing meeting at Paris. A GENEROUS CONCESSION. LONDON, January 24. It is understood that the Allies’ demand for reparations from Turkey will be reduced to £15,000,000, which is half of the original amount. LAUSANNE, January 24. It is confirmed that the Allies agreed to reduce Turkish reparations to £15,000,000. STATEMENT BY ISMET PASHA. LAUSANNE, January 26. In consequence of the Allied delega tions’ decision to present a draft treaty to the Turks on January 31, and to depart on February 1, leaving only experts to make any explanations the Turks may demand, Ismet Pasha announces that he will leave the same day a* Lord Curzon, leaving the Angora Government to furnish a reply to the Allied proposals. January 27. Ismet Pasha has instructed several members of the Turkish delegation to leave Lausanne. Thus is interpreted in Turkish circles that Ismet is determined to refuse to accept the Allies’ conditions in the Peace Treaty,.. AFGHAN INTEREST. . DELHI, January 23, The Amir of Afghanistan is taking great interest in the Lausanne negotiations. He cabled to London asking his Minister to request King George to secure equitable consideration of the Turkish problem, which concerns the general peace of all Moslems. King George replied that he was fully sensible that the concern felt by the Moslems of the East was no less than that felt by the Western nations, and it was his earnest desire that an eauitable and lasting solution should be found.