NEAR-EASTERN AFFAIRS

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15035, 5 September 1922, Page 4

NEAR-EASTERN AFFAIRS

While the Allies are still discussing the arrangements for a conference regarding the situation in the Near East, and the appointment of a commission of inquiry into the state of affairs in Asia Minor, the Turks and the Greeks are again endeavouring to decide the issue between themselves by force of anus in Anatolia. The accounts of the fighting give Mustapha Kcmal the credit for striking a blow which lias yielded him a considerable strategic advantage for the lime being. The appearances suggest that Kemal, who has a noteworthy military record, is likely to continue lo prove himself one 100 many for the Creek generals. Until both are utterly weary of lighting there seems to be little possibility of a reconciliation of Hie differences between the Creeks and the Angora Governments. "There are .signs," wrote the Near East correspondent of Ire Times, recently, "that the Greek Government realises that the cosily stalemate in Anatolia cannot continue iindefinitely. But will it have the courage to order the army to evacuate Brusa, Eskl Shehr, and Aflum Karahlssar, and withdraw into the zone assigned to Greece by the Sevres Treaty pending, the definite conclusion of peace? Some Greek politicians are said to favour this policy on the ground thai lonia can be defended by a much smaller force than is now aee'ded in Asia Minor, and that

the National Turk can be trusted to. make a fool of himself, and to attempt to eject the Allies, '\T et armis,' from Constantinople and the Dardanelles, instead of trying vainly to eject the Greeks from Smyrna. Then Would come Greece's opportunity of aiding the Powers—on her own terms. Yet one may well doubt whether Angora will attempt the one venture which would make King Constantine's entry into Constantinople politically possible. On the other hand, one does not see any Greek Government giving way to Nationalist Turk demands for Eastern Thrace up to the Maritza, or evacuating lonia without guarantees for the minorities; such a step would be fatally unpopular." The all-sufficient commentary upon this endeavour to balance the possibilities of the situation is, of course, the active resumption of military operations. This development certainly represents the oonsequehces of the failure of Great Britain and France to oome to an agreement respecting the steps which it Is incumbent upon them to take in the interests of peace. But they have still to confer to effeotive purpose. The fact that some time ago France made a separate agreement with the Kemallsts, that Great Britain has seemed to lean toward the Greeks, and that Italy has views of her own, which are not favourable to measures of pressure upon the Turks* has not facilitated an understanding among the Allies that would lead to joint action on their part. The situation is further complicated by the question of the atrocities which are alleged to have been perpetrated on the Greek and Armenian minorities in Asia Minor. Mr Lloyd George has declared that, while Great Britain is neither pro-Turk nor anti-Turk, she Is not disposed to tolerate the replacing of minorities of an infinitely superior standard of civilisation under the yoke of men of an obviously low" and barbarous standard of civilisation; It has been pointed out that the exertion of Allied pressure does not necessarily mean the sending of an army to Angora, since there are other means—naval and economic, not to mention the stoppage of supplies of munitions—to curtail the power of the Kemallsts for mischief. Moreover, there is military force available on the, spot sufficient to maintain the territories actually in Allied and Greek possession until the Angora Government shows signs of reasonableness. General Townshend's opinion respecting the prospects of patching up the Turco-Greek quarrel must be regarded as optimistic, in view of the persistently avowed objective of the Kemalists. Since the above was in type news hits come to hand that the Greeks have .applied for an armistice and admit that they have been compelled to evacuate Asia Minor.