THE CONFERENCE

Southland Times, Issue 19656, 5 October 1922, Page 5

THE CONFERENCE

SECRET DISCUSSIONS THE CHANAK ZONE TURKISH CAVALRY FALL BACK. ' The conference at Mudania has opened, and the proceedings are being conducted in strict secrecy. It is expected to be confined to the settlement of preliminary details, after which Sir Charles Harihgton and the Turkish representative will confer alone regarding the position in the Chanak area. The Turkish cavalry at Chanak are reported to have withdrawn some distance from the British lines, presumably under orders from Kemal. M. Zaimis has declined to undertake the Premiership of Greece on account of ill-health. MUDANIA CONFERENCE. PROBABLE COURSE OF DISCUSSIONS. TURKISH CLAIMS IN THRACE. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright). (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, October 3. Official quarters expect the Mudania Conference to be confined to the settlement of preliminary details, after which General Sir Charles Harington and Ismet Pasha will confer alone regarding the Turkish invasion of the Chanak area. General Harington will insist on the evacuation of Chanak as a preliminary movement to the evacuation of Thrace by the Greeks. The Foreign Office has received a note from the Moscow agent for the Trans-Cau-casian, States, demanding their representation at the Near East Conference, and declaring that they would not acknowledge any decision arrived at without their collaboration. Rechid Bey, the Angora diplomatist, has arrived in London, and states that the Kemidists would ask for the immediate withdrawal of the Greeks from Thrace up to the Maritza, including Adrianople, and the restoration of Turkish administration in that province. With reference to the withdrawal of the Turks from the neutral zone, Rechid Bey thought the Angora Government would manifest goodwill and endeavour to secure an understanding and a peaceful settlement between Britain and Turkey. The Turks, he said, were not’ fighting for the sake of war, but having made so many sacrifices, they should secure unquestioned national rights. THE CONFERENCE OPENED ABSOLUTE SECRECY MAINTAINED CONSTANTINOPLE, October 3. (Received October 4, 5.5 p.m.) The conference has opened at Mudania. The Angora Government sent the Allied Commissioners a protest against bad treatment of Turks in Thrace by the Greeks. Absolute secrecy is being maintained regarding the doings of the conference. EXCLUSION OF JOURNALISTS TURKISH CAVALRY AT CHANAK WITHDRAWAL FROM BRITISH LINES CONSTANTINOPLE, October 4. (Received October 4, 11.15 p.m.) No Allied newspaper men will be allowed to attend the Mudania Conference. M. Bouillon promised to attempt to secure the revocation of (he order barring journalists attending at Mudania, saying that he realised that the ban on English and .American newspapers, while Turkish, Greek, Armenian and Balkan reporters were allowed to go was discrimination which would arouse deep resentment. The Morning Post’s, correspondent at Constantinople states that the majority of the Turkish cavalry at Chanak have withdrawn some distance from the British entrenched lines, presumably under Kemal’s order suspending military movements. THE. REPLY FROM ANGORA. FURTHER DELAY EXPECTED. CONSTANTINOPLE, October 3. M. Bouillon does not consider the text of the Angora Government’s reply to the Allied note can be despatched for five or six days as Kemal only arrived at Angora yesterday. M. Bouillon is of opinion that the Allied proposals can serve as a basis of negotiations as the differences between the Allied and Turkish viewpoints arc formal rather than fundamental. THE ANGORA ASSEMBLY VIEW OF INNER WORKINGS MODERATES AND COMMUNISTS LONDON, October 3. (Received October 4, 5.5 pm.) The Morning Post’s special correspondent telegraphing from Sofia says he has been in close touch with the Angora situation for three weeks, and is able to supply the following details of the inner political workings : Before the military operations were undertaken, a powerful moderate party was formed favouring an undertaking with Britain and opposing the military group. Tills party consisted chiefly of Circassian noblemen, the leaders including Bekir Sami Bey. After Kemal’s victory the moderates were obliged to support the military in order to maintain themselves, but now they are exercising a moderate influence in Kemal’s counsels. The Communists have been most active, and an increasing number of delegates to the National Assembly have joined the Communist party through the activities of Araloff, the Soviet Ambassador. The Turkish Communists have no Turkish policy but stand for complete union with Russia in foreign policy, especially in war against Britain. They are straining every nerve to bring about a rupture with Britain and a consequent Turkish-Bolshevik attack on the Balkans. The question is whether the obvious interest of Turkey in securing British friendship will prevail over distrust of British policy and the Bolshevik propaganda subsidies, which have been pouring into the country for a year. The Communists are also gaining ground in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Thrace. Bulgarian friendship for Turkey is even stronger than it was during the war. ALLIED CO-OPERATION. A FRENCH VIEW. PARIS, October 3. The Petit Parisien comments that General Sir Charles Harington must- not only cooperate with France and Italy regarding Thrace, but also with reference to the occupation of the Asiatic zone. The latter problem was entrusted to Britain by the inter-Allied mandate, but if France and Italy are of the opinion that occupation should cease, it would not- be wise for Britain to maintain troops there.

THE REVOLUTION IN GREECE. M. VENTZELOS. IN CHARGE OF LONDON LEGATION. LONDON, October 3. While it is doubtful whether M. Venizelos has definitely accepted the new Government’s offer to become its foreign ambassador, it is a fact that he has taken charge of thq Greek Legation in London. * After a lengthy interview with Lord Curzon M. Venizelos postponed his departure for Paris. He refused to disclose whether the attitude of the Foreign Office towards him was favourable or otherwise. PREMIERSHIP STILL VACANT. ATHENS, October 3. M. Zaimis has now definitely refused to j undertake the Premiership, on the ground of ill-health. General Magarakis and Colonel Sareyaunis represent Greece at the Mudania Conference. LEAGUE OF NATIONS. A MISTAKE AVOIDED. STATISMENT BY SIR JAMES ALLEN: (United Service.) LONDON, October 3. (Received October 4, 7.45 p.m.) Pveviewing his attitude at the Genoa Conference Sir James Allen said it would have been, a mistalte to have submitted the Near East trouble to the League of Nations while other parties were already negotiating. Otherwise it would have enabled the Turks to play off one against another. When asked why he signed the telegram to Mr Lloyd George on September 20 asking for submission to the League, Sir James Allen replied, “I know of no such telegram being signed by the Dominion’s representatives. 1 certainly did not sign it. It was obviously a duty which a sovereign Power or several sovereign Powers combined ought to undertake. If the League undertook it it would be with the knowledge that it had no physical force behind it.” EXCITER!EOT IN INDIA. REPORT BY THE VICEROY. LONDON, October 3. Lord Reading, viceroy of Lidia, in a report states that Turkish victories in Asia Minor and the British attitude have caused excitement, among Mohammedans in. all provinces of Lidia. Even in Burmah prayers are being offered for the success of Turkish arms. Some hopes are entertained of raising an Angora legion to assist, the Turks. Lord Reading concludes: “If the negotiations break down and the British and Turkish forces come into conflict the effects on Moslem feeling cannot fail to be very serious.” RELIEF IN ASIA MINOR. AMERICAN CO-OPERATION. WASHINTON, October 3. (Received October 4, 7.15 p.m.) President Harding has appointed Mr Will Hays head of a committee to co-operate with the Near East relief organisation in aid ot those distressed in Asia Minor. HEW ZEALAND AND THE CRISIS. A SYDNEY COMMENT. SYDNEY, October 3. The Sydney Daily Telegraph, commenting on New. Zealand’s attitude towards the threatened war, says it has shown a more marked recruiting demonstration, and a more marked absence of Labour opposition than was displayed in Australia. The paper suggests that the Labour attitude is to some extent explainable by the proximity of the general election, but there is some ground for hoping that the saner tone of the New Zealand Labour party may be more than transitory, and that it w r as rooted in the recognition that the people of the Dominion are irrevocably loyal to the Empire. THE CALL TO ARMS. FEWER ENLISTMENTS With the more favourable outlook in regard to the Near Eastern situation, there has been a marked falling off in the number of offers to serve received by the local Defence Office, and yesterday the only offers came from several men residing in outlying country districts. A MAN OF THE MOMENT. MUSTAPHA KEMAL PASHA. The reputation of Mustapha Kemal Pasha, the Turkish leader, has become greatly enhanced by the smashing defeat inflicted on the Greeks by the Angora Turks, and the President of Angora may soon be playing a most important role in the Near East. He is now a personage to be reckoned udth. The personality of Mustapha Kemal Pad)a is both interesting and picturesque—interesting because he differs radically from all contemporary national leaders; picturesque because he is the type of Oriental soldier who 100 years ago, was the maker of political history all over Asia. In any country west of Turkey the career of Mustapha Kemal would have been an impossibility; in Turkey no other type could have organised this “war of independence.” He has all the virtues and the faults which are attributable to the heroes of Turkish history. He is a soldier with a record for brilliance in the field, established at the Dardanelles, a man who has gained the affection of the rank and file by his simplicity anti his consideration for their welfare. His honesty is acknowledged by all. A Bulgarian doctor relates how, when Turkish liaison officer at Sofia during the Salonika campaign, he went j without meals because he had failed to augI ment his inadequate pay after the usual I manner of Turkish officers. He is a man of force rather than of thought, and this characteristic has been contributing to his success. He threw himself into the resistance to the Treaty of Sevres without any previous political experience, or any connection with established powerful parties, and without any consideration for international issues. No politician with a full knowledge of all the adverse odds would have dared to do the same, and so far he has won through. He has been lucky, for it has been the combination of exterior political events rather than the gathering of hii ( own strength that has made his success. Mustapha Kemal established himself as a military dictator, hut in ruid-July had some restraint put on his powers by the newly-elected Ministry, which was strongly a Committee of Union, and Progress in tone. Still he has won the reputation of a Ghazi, “a victor over the Infidels,” a restorer of the old faith, a reformer of social customs, after the very heart of the older-fashioned Turks. The Turks love to be driven, preferably to victory, and in Mustapha Kemal there has been given them a man with a genius for driving. He has won the greatest victory achieved by the Ottoman arms since the great days of over two centuries ago, and over the hated and despised Greeks. A good fighting man, Mustapha Kemal is reputed to have no political instinct, but his younger brother has done very well as I his Foreign Minister, and seems to have supplied that quality. He has the ability to choose good men. He likes to take control in the field, but at last has left the real command in the hands of his chief of the general staff. So far he has shown a disposition to take a rather lofty tone with the Allies, but his talk of clearing the straits and talcing possession, no matter who was holding them, does not give promise of wisdom. Turkey cannot again become a world power from want, of man power and material resources, and the Ottoman, has always failed to organise a decent civil administration.