Evening star., 1921-01-19
|SMYRNA'SSTATUS
NATTER Of DOUBT
Question Raised Upen the
Retun Of Greek King
to Throne.

under Greek administration following
the werld war, and In regard to whose
future status q question was raised
on the return of King Constantine to
the Greek throne, Is the subject Of
the following bulletin issued from
the Washington, D. c.. headquarters
ef the National Geographic Society:
Smyrna district in Asia Minor Is put
pithily In q statement which former
lPremier Venixeles of Greece Is re-
ported to have made te the supreme
council Of the allies. We seek no Wah-
date, we seek to enter eur heme:
Smyrna, and the remainder OF the
west coast Of Asia Miner, which have
been accepted as Turkish with Ltue
question for many generations, mad
well developed Greek civilisatien ana
culture when the ancestors ef the
Turks, half-civilized nemads. were
stu wandering with their decks over
the bleak steppes Of central Asia
Where Greek Art Originated.
1.-THE portion Of the province of
Smyrna occupied by Greek forces
comprises roughly old Ionia. coun-
try which was AZ purely Greek as
Attica itself. and parts OF Aeol1s. an
other Greek country adjoining 1onis
Crete or other islands Of the Aegean.
are supposed to have settled In 1onia
shortly after the Trojan war. The
cities which they built In this favored
land Of sunny mountain slopes, fertile
valleys and good harbors were thriv.
Ing and wealthy marts Of trade and
when they are hrst heard OF IN re-
| corded history.
| Smyrna is one Of tho cities which
| centers Of culture eight hundred years
more before the time Of o. Hamsr Ghr,sr'
and tradition even points out q cave
near tho city in which he is said to
have composed many Of his poems.
Sappho was born in Asiatic Greece
and maintained q schoo! in one OF its
t1cally every phase Of the Greek art
which has delighted later generations
and served as their models had Its be-
gining in Asiatic Ionia. and dour,
ished there before coming to na 1ni.
of European Greece. Ephesus. where
that world wonder. the temple Of
Diana, stood, was not far from the
present city Of Smyrna, and dozen
more Of the great cities Of the early
Greeks were nearby.
Half of Population II Greek.
AFTER a period Of independence
Ionia continued to flourish as a coun--
trysof predominant Greek culture and
marked commercial importance under 1
the suzerainty first Of Lydia. the
country Of the famous Croesus. and
later Persia. Again wholly Greek: It
height Of that city's power. and then
accepted the leadership Of Alexander.
A prosperous period as a Graeco-Ro-
man province and long era under
the Greek & empire Of Byzantium anti .,ndd fol;
control. a century or SO before the
fall Of Constantinople. Even follow
ing the Incorporation Of the Smyrna
district into the Turkish empire more
than 800 years ago; It remained s Large. e.
world war fully half the quarter mil
Lion Inhabitants Of the city Of Smyrna
were Greeks.
1.-THE modern province Of Smyrna is
the most favored Of all the provinces
Of Asia Minor. It contains three of
the most considerable rivers Of the
country, including the Meander. whose
serpentine. course has given the Eng
lish language an expressive verb.
Fertile soil and temperate climate
have added to the regions attractions.
while the possession Of a port and
city-the city Of Symrna-unequaled
by any other in Asia Minor has con-
trtbuted another immeasurbly impor-
tant asset
Noted for Fine Fruits. A.
Though imperfectly titled during its
control by Turkey, the province Of
Smyrna has nevertheless been noted
for its fine fruits. For long time it
has furniehed the best figs and raasins
which reach the markets Of Europe.
K Poets and travellers have sung and
told Of the beauties Of the city of
Smyrna throughout the ages. The
nucleus nestles in the lowlands about
its harbor. and behind the city rises
tier above tier against the neighboring
highlands. Unlike many cities that
have survived for long ages, Smyrna
has retained the same name from the
dawn Of history. This city should be
dear to the heart Of the modern femin-
list, for it took its name from an ANA
zon who Is reputed to have played an
important part in its early life"