Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05
FRENCH DIPLOMACY
SUSIA|NS DEFEAT
Britain Apparently Has Won
Constantine to Its Near
East Policy.
TO KEEP UP GREEK ARMY
Exiled Ruler Agrees to Enforce
Provisions Of the Treaty
of Sevres.
TO KEEP UP GREEK ARMY

By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1920.
PARIS, December 4.-The latest
London conference has been an al
most complete defeat for French di-
plomacy. which, in military parlance,
was badly engaged from the start.
France has never approved or rati-
fed the treaty Of Sevres, of which. in
deed. Lord Curzon was the principal
author. Britain, having adopted
Greese as her agent in the near east,
desires to enlarge this state as much
as possible by using the Greeks to
enforce the treaty on the Turks.
France Fl nee dlsiikes to see British influence
IN the near east disproporGonately
extended. under cover of Greek ex-
pansion..
In the defeat of venizelos in the
Greek elections French opinion, there
fore, thought 1t saw an occasion to re-
wise the treaty in favor of the Turks;
that Is, to say, indirectly in favor OF
France. The French parliament and
public are unanimous in demanding
this revision. AS was to be expected
however, Britain is resisting. What
matters it to Britain whether veni-
zelas or Constantine rules. so long as
Greece continues to base her action
on close collaboration with Britain
There Is even reason to believe that
the British foreign Office was getting
tired of Venizelos. who is rather indie
pendent minded and was insistent, for
example, in demanding the return OF
Cyprus to Greece.
While Premier Leagues was getting
ready togo to London the British
therefore, sent a representative to see
King Constantine in Lucerne and the
latter apparently has promised to dc
practically everything the British de
sire. The impetuosity of French pub.
lie opinion in the whole affair ever
enabled the British to use the French
attitude as a means of pressure or
Constantine in case the latter should
prove recalcitrant. The British thus
return to Greece he must continue te
keep up the Greek army as mean:
of enforcing the treaty of Seyres ant
Constantine agreed to do so. Fal
from weakening the British position
in Greece and the near east, the
French efforts seemingly have merely
served to strengthen it.
Italy, which is taking part IT. thu
negotiations, is opposed to Greek ex'
pansion and favors Constantine a
opposed to venizelos. AS one point
cancels the other, 1taly's voice viii
probably be without weight. The out
come will probably be that Constan'
tine. Immediately after the plebiscitt
on December S. will return to Athens
escorted by the entire Greek navy
and the British. to quiet the French
will join with them In some innocu
GUS declaration Of warning to Con
stantine and the treaty of Sevres viii
stand as before. The affair Is almos
certain to raise a storm in the French
parliament, but France is apparentl,
powerless in the matter and can d.
nothing without Britain's assent.
The truth is that France is seri
ously preoccupied over near eastern
affairs. She breads joint action will
the Turkish nationalists; she dislikei
the costly military action which sh'
has been obliged to undertake II
Cilicia against the Turks and is dis
turbed by the troubled atmosphere
which the Turkish bolshevist propa
ganda is creating in Tunis. which
though absolutely loyal throughout
the war, now shows signs of strong
resentment against Frances acqui'
escence in the partition Of Turkey.