Evening star., 1922-10-07
GREEKS WILL CLING
TO THRACE T0LAST
Revolutionists Declare Pow
ers Alone Can Compel
Army to Move.
MUST BOW TO ALLIES
Leaders Admit They Cannot Fight
Nations-Point to Efforts to
Carry Out Wishes.
MUST BOW TO ALLIES
BY EDGAR ANsEL MOwRER.

By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright. 1922.
ATHENS, October 7.-"The Greek
army will not leave Thzace unless
the great powers compeHaelS St a6 so"
This was the deliberate statement
made to the writer by Col. Stilianos
Gonatas. president of the revolu-
tionary committee of officers which is
ruling Greece at the present time.
I'VE realize" Col. Gonatas con-
tinued, that we cannot fight the
great powers. We have as yet no of
fetal confirmation of the news from
the Mudania conference, but if the
newspaper reports prove true we
cannot be expected to accept such
conditions without discussion. We
cannot believe that the allies terms
as contained in the joint note to
Mustapha Kemal Pasha to be the
last word and that we shall be asked
to swallow them without discussion
Dethroned Their King.
1--WE hold eastern Thrace because
of the Greek population and because
of the allied mandate and the treaty
of Sevres. After the return Of King
gave to Greece neither the money
nor the material hoped for. Their
hostility was caused by the presence
of Constantine and. therefore, we de-
throned him. We still hope the allies
will give us the backing we deserve"
What are the conditions you dis
like?" the correspondent asked.
First of all. we believe that once
Turkish gendarmes are patrolling
eastern Thrace and kemaIs crescent
will increase their claims. The Bull
garian bands will become troublesome
even If the Bulgarian government re-
mains quiet"
Prepared to Fight Turks.
"Are you prepared to fight the Turks
for possession of eastern Thrace If the
allies permit it,"
Certainly" was the reply. I'VE
have sufficient forces in Thrace and
our morale is good"
"It seems strange that the Greeks
have no resentment
against the allies" the writer sug-
gested. How do you explain that?"
eve thought the allies resentment
was directed exclusively against King
cons Cdnllne.- ouF people Sllll trust
in the friendship Of the allies"
Inhabitants Are Calm.
The inhabitants of Greece are out
wardly calm despite the fact that they
are governed by a revolutionary COM
mittee of officers, who have their
headquarters in a small house. The
only visible signs of the changed or
der are the presence in the govern
ment buildings of new provisional
ministers replacing Premier Gounaris
and his colleagues. who were arrest
ed and escaped death by a close mar
gin: the occasional round of the revo-
lutionary watch. which passes through
the streets of Athens, and the pres
ence of military in all councils to de-
eide important matters.
In other respects there Is nothing to
show that the people realize that their
dreams Of a greater Greece, of small
Aegean empire and a new Byzantium
have come to an end at least tempo
echoes on all sides, and the policy of
passive resistance to the Mudania de-
cisions which seems to have been
by the revolutionary COM
mittee of officers will hardly suffice.
In diplomatic circles here it Is con-
sidered that the financial position of
Greece. If nothing else, will compel
her to accept the will Of the powers.
Violent Action Only Hope.
Meanwhile despite European finan-
cial control the provisional govern
ment may meet its expenses by a new
issue of paper currency. 1t seems
l.ne Il PARADOX. but it is true that the
only thing that can save the Greek
claims to eastern Thrace is violent
action on the part of Mustapha Kemal
Pasha. This might force the allies to
turn against him and invite the Greek
army to defend the present positions
in eastern Thrace or even to help in
the Turks from crossing
he straits. But 1t would seem that
he French control over Kemal Is far
90 strict to permit him to act rashlya
and the willy pasha must realize that
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