New-York tribune., 1919-01-17
Venizelos Asks
Wilson's Help in
Obtaining Aims
Wants Greece to Have North
ern Epirus, Thrace and
Control Over Asia Minor
Coast and Nearby Islands

PARIS, JHn. Is (By The Associated
Press).-President Wilson received
Premier Venizelos, Greek Premier, and
Lambros A. Coromilas, Greek Minister
to Italy, to-day. During long con-
versation the Greek Premier pre-
sented arguments in support of Hell
lenic claims in the war settlement,
which NJ. Venizelos said were based on
the principles laid down by the Presi-
dent himself
1t was recalled by the Premier that
at the beginning of the war the Entente
Powers demanded that Greece occupy
Northern Epirus, with the understand
ing that if at the end Of the war the
occupation OF Aviona by italy was con-
1lrmed the occupation of Northern
Eplrus BY Greece should become dea-
mite. There was also an additional
understanding, it was said, that the
limit of ltaly'a occupation south of
AVlora should not exceed the limits OF
Northern Epirus.
flights OF Greece in Thrace
keg&rolng Thrace, NJ. Nenizcos said
rhat ITS Hellenic character was fully
admltted, even by tic Bulgarians. He
sala this was demonstrated in 1912,
when Greece and Bulgaria collaborated
against the programme Of the Commit
tee Of Union and Progress in Turkey.
uncer that agreement, it was pointed
out, the interests Of Greece in Thrace
were fixed as six times those Of Bull
gara.
An extension of the Greek frontier
in Ihrace, NJ. Venizelos said, would in
volve withdrawal of Bulgaria from
the Agean Sea, which she reached by
virtue Of the Treaty of Bucharest after
the Balkan war. He added that Bul-
garia is already established on the
Black Sea, which, owing to the guaran-
teed freedom Of the Dardanelles, be-
comes open and free. Besides, the
Greek Premier added, Bulgaria is pre-
emlnently continental state.
NJ. Venllelos expressed the opinion
that it was impossible to refuse to
allow more than 1000, 600 Greeks living
IN Asia Minor and the islands near that
coast to join their mother country He
pointed out that those Greeks for thirty
centuries have "uninterruptedly held in
Asia Minor and the island a predomi-
nant situation, which is manifested in
the economic civilizing supremacy of
the Hellenic element there"
He does not believe the peace con-
gress can tntrust the fate of the Chris
tian population Of the Ottoman EN-
pire to the Turks, who, he says, "al-
ways have answered the pressure of
the powers for reforms in favor of
'hristians by massacring them whole
sale"
During the last year of the war
alone, the Premier added, 100000 Ar
menians and 100000 Greeks were eX-
terminated. In calculating the strength
of the Greek population in Turkey
the Premier said it must be remem-
bered that during the past four years
45O, 900 Greeks have been expelled by
the Turkish government. while several
hundred thousand more had been de-
ported from the coast districts to the
interior, where a greater part had lost
their lives.
Concessions in Smyrna
Greece, Premier Venizeios said, was
ready to accept the contention that
Smyrna should be used for import and
export trade to and from Turkey. East
Of the western portion of Asia Minor,
which it is proposed to be annexed to
Greece, he added, there is Greek
population of almost 100000. which
he hopes will be partly included in the
international state centred on Con-
stantinople and the other part in the
new Armenian state. Even then, he
said, several hundred thousand Greeks
would remain under the Turkish gov
ernment of Central Asia Minor.