NOT SIGNED

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1923, Page 5

NOT SIGNED

TURKS REFUSE TREATY. LAST HOUR DISAGREEMENT. DECLARE PEACE DESIRES. RENOUNCE SOME CLAIMS. SAFETY OF ANZAC GRAVES. Turkey hit refused to sign the treaty with the Allies. A desire for peace was expressed by Ismet Pasha and several claims were renounced, but complete agreement was impossible. Lord Curzon has left Lausanne. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Feb. 5, 5.5 p.m. Lausanne, Feb. 4. The Turks refused to sign the peace with the Allies. The breakdown is lue to the capitulations question. The Turkish reply expressed the conviction that the unanimity of views between the Allies and the Turkish delegation on fundamental points is sufficient for the establishment of peace, and it declares the Turks are prepared to agree to great sacrifices for the preservation of peace. They accept the western frontier as proposed by the Allies, and in order to testify their goodwill they will not insist upon obtaining- Kfttagatch and the railway from there to Kuleliburgas and Demotika. Briefly, they renounce the frontier of 1915; they renounce their policy in regard to the cloa-ng of the Straits, and agree to their demilitarisation; surrender the claim to garrison Gallipoli, and will leave the Anzac zone undisturbed. They suggest that the future of Mosul should be decided between Britain and Turkey within a year. » THE STUMBLING BLOCK. At the last moment, when the feeling was optimistic and the conclusion of the treaty was regarded fle imminent, the Turks refused to sign, as an agreement could not be reached on the question of capitiflations and economic points. After deliberating for an hour the Allies adjourned and sought further particulars from the Turks, the special train in which the Allied delegates intended to leave being held back. The last hours of the conference were most dramatic. Lord Curzon and the Allied delegates contested the Turks point after point. At a certain stage it seemed likely an agreement would he reached, but capitulations and economic questions proved the deathblow. Hours were passed ’in ‘strenuous debate of the proposals regarding capitulations, which included Turkish nomination of foreign legal advisers to watch foreigners’ interests in Turkish courts. Lord Curzon, Sir IT. Rumbold and M. Rompard discussed this for two hours, the two latter eventually going to Lausanne Palace. Another battle with Ismot Pasha then took place, after which they joined Lord Curzon in further discussion. at the conclusion of which they telephoned requesting Ismet’rf attendance. Lord Curzon wrestled with Ismet for another two hours before giving up the struggle, twice deferring his departure by special train, but Ismet’s attitndn et.iffpnAd

FINAL FAILURE. Lord Curzon went to his train Jit nine o’clock and M. Bompard remained to make a last minute attempt to save the situation. Lord Curzon waited in h» carriage, detaining the train for a third time until nearly ten o’clock, when M. Bojmpard breathlessly dashed into the station and dejectedly reported the final failure. The Turkish reply agreed to accept the proposals for sharing the Turkish debt, but reserving rights to collect debts due to Turkey. The reply concluded: “In the interests of peace we propose to sign the essential clauses on which agreement has been reached, leaving the others for further negotiation/’ —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ACTION OF THE FRENCH. QUESTIONED BY THE TIMES. London, Feb. 4. A Times editorial dealing primarily with the confusion raised by the mystery of .the French Notes to Angora, examines the advantages of AngloFrench unity and -concludes. “It is very natural that the British people should wkh to know the real motive of the Power with whom we have been accustomed in late years closely to cooperate. We are accustomed to regard our treaties as binding and our plighted word as a contract that cannot be lightly ignored at the convenience of either party. “In the policy the French are pursuing in the Ruhr, inspiring England with the greatest alarm as to the future of Europe and the world, the French Government knowing Britain entirely disapproves, invokes sanctions under the treaty that was a product of the joint efforts of all the Powers who were Allies in the war. The French have aroused in Germany a spirit of resistjince, reckless disregard of all obligations, and imposed a peace treaty which seems likely to throw the whole work of the peace conference into complete infusion. We have no part in thia, yet we must bear tta consequences. The tradition of close relationship with France, and especially the vivid memories of comradeship in the war, will still prevent many people in England from peroeiving the full consequences to ourselves - and the world of the headstrong action of France. “If, however, the French Gowrnment, in blind Infatuation for some obscure schemes of their own, go so far as to wreck the hope of peace in the Near East encouraged by the labors of the Lauaanne conference, then the people of this country .vill begin to feel t .at for all practical purposes the Entente is ended.”