The New York herald., 1921-03-30
Greek Advance in Asia Minor.


cal value of courtesy visits.
Greek Advance in Asia Minor.
The offensive against the Turk
ish Nationalists, which CONSTANTINE
launched as reply If not challenge
to the London conference, has reached
the Bagdad railway, about 200 miles
east of Smyrna. The Greeks have
thus given at least temporary secur-
ity to their possession of western Asia
Minor and they are, according to the
official reports, in occupation of two
important junction points, Afiun-
karahissar, where the line from
Smyrna east joins the Bagdad road,
and Eski- -Shehr, from where branch
Of the Bagdad road runs to Angora,
the Nationalist capital.
The Bagdad railway is or y the
chief detectives of the Greek Jrces in
the present offensive. Their several at.
/ tempts to control it in the early occu-
patton of the Smyrna territory all
proved Intellectual. 1t is the only i'm
portant railway Of the country and
connects Scutari, on the Asiatlc shore
opposite Constantinople, with Konia
and the Mesopotamian valley. Its
control by the Greeks thus cuts off
railroad communication Of the Ma
tionalists with the remainder of the
world. The Nationalists, under the
command Of MUsTAPHA KEMAL
Pasha's ablest generals. offered little
resistance to the Greeks until the
railway was reached. Here, accord
ing to the Greek official reports, they
made a firm stand and were driven
from their position only after severe
fighting.
The Greeks now enter upon the
most difficult phase of their cam
paign. Angora lies 140 miles east of
Eski-Shehr, In the Anatolian high
lands. Good highways are few and
the rough land and mountain passes
offer especial advantages for the
guerrilla warfare to which kEMAL's
| forces are best suited. Recent and
more or less authoritative reports by
correspondents who have been at the
Nationalist headquarters would seem
| to disprove the early information
| given out by the Greeks. The Ma
tionalists are we'll supplied with
money. they have organized under the
best of Turkish officers a considerable
force and 1t is believed that KEsfALs
influence is such that he can in case
of Greek invasion add to this many
recruits from among the Anatolians,
who in the past were the most de-
pendable of the Turkish soldiery.
| CONSTANTINE has now adopted the
policy Of VENIzELos and is striving to
take to himself the credit OF the
Greater Greece which this able Prem
Ter had outlined and was on the
point Of making elective. TO this
his followers have added an element
that especially appeals to his p,vsonal
ambition and to the ideals OF the ex-
treme Greek expansionists. The
Greeks in Constantinople recently as
serted that Saint Sophia will be in
the hands of the Greeks by the time
of the celebration of their Easter on
May 1. and that a Greek sovereign
will rule In Constsntinople. This is
q plea SAINT dream in which CoNsTAN-
TINE has indulged himself ever since
he was reminded OF the ancient proph-
ecy that a Constantine whose Queen
was a Sophia would be crowned in
/ this sanctuary.
There is. however, much more 10
be considered In this project so dear
to every Balkan ruler than the mere
desire of the Greek people. Europe
in the past has always intPrfered just
when the plans Of would be sue
cessor to the ruler Of ancient Byzan-
tium seemed at the point OF realiza-
ton. CoNsrANTTNE's chance of coro.
nation in Saint Sophia is no bet.
ter now than was that OF FERDINAND
Of Bulgaria, who so cunningly schemed
for the distinction in 1913. A
matter of more vital Importance
to the Greeks than their conquest
or Constantinople Is. rs VESIzELos
pointed out, to discover just how far
they are to be supported by the Allies
in their war against the Turkish Ma
tionolists for the establishment OF
their territorial claims in Asia.