The New York herald., 1920-01-29
DR.. w. T. Ellis Says
Greeks Have Valid
Rights in Smyrna
BY WILLIAM II. ELLIS.

There has been more or less mystery
about the sudden landing, last spring. of
a large Greek force at Smyrna, in advance
and also about the failure Of the Allied
war ships in Smyrna harbor to intervene
when the Greek troops indulged in ex-
cesses.
Upon good authority I have the story.
for which 1 cannot otherwise vouch. that
the Greeks were ordered into Smyrna by
the Supreme Council, which had learned
that the Italians contemplated coup
detat' by landing force and taking
control Of this disputed territory, trusting
to the fact that they were in possession as
their warrant for remaining there.
My informant, who was officially related
to the Paris Conference, says that Lloyd
George, when Italy's spectacular scheme
was discovered, hurriedly got into touch
with Venizelos and asked how quickly a
division of Greek troops could be got into
Smyrna. The answer is history.
In the light of this story, it is under
standable why the Allied war ships in
Smyrna harbor were not free to curb the
conduct of the Greek troops.
Immediately afterward Italian forces
occupied Adalia. the next Asia Minor port
to the eastward. and penetrated into the
interior as far as Konia, where they now
are.
Grabbing to Get.
Italy. OF course. had no ghost Of a pre-
text for seizing Smyrna, except a desire
to increase her possessions. She grabbed
merely to get. Greece. on the other hand,
as everybody knows. has historic claims
to this once flourishing section of the
Byzantine Empire. More valid still Is
the argument that large proportion OF
the population-the Greeks say majority
-of this part OF Asia Minor is Hellenic.
III any foreign power should assume con-
troll over the region Greece was clearly
indicated.
Unfortunately. the Greek entry was ac-
companied by eXcesses which have had A
grave influence upon all the subsequent
history of the Turkish question. Never
theless. the fact remains that the Greeks
In Asia Minor have rights to self-deter-
mination which are as real as the rights
of the Turks themselves. II Is one more
instance OF where the inherent rights OF
the plain people should not be lost sight
of because of official laundering.
Meanwhile. the Italians and the Greeks
occupying contiguous territory in Asia
Minor, have played roles which would
scarcely be described as those of allies and
co-belligerents.
The Sore Spot In the Near East.
iioht thc OF washington or
even Paris 1t may appear feasible for the
European Powers to parcel out among
themselves as their respective shares of
wars booty the territory of the defeated
Turk. Those nearer to the scene know
that the incompatibility-to use a euphem
isni-of these nations is such that conflict
and strife are inevitable. They are play
Ing at cross purposes necessarily There
was no such rivalry among foreign ma
tons in Turkey before the war. Repeat
edly there have been occasions within the
last six months when the situation has
come close to open rupture.
Apparently. all consideration for the po-
litical rights of the resident peoples has
vanished. The mandatory idea and the
League of Nations spirit have given way
to sheer Imperialism. European nations
now want Turkish territory for their own
purposes.
The complexities OF the situation, in
cluding the overshadowing religious is
sue between Moslems and Christians,
make Il impossible for any one of the
Powers to sail straight couse. How
anything else than eventual conflict in the
Near East between these western coun-
tries can be the result OF the present
policy IL Is difficult to foresee. Imperial
Ism always leads to war.