Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-10-10
PREM|ER CLAIMS
ENGLAND HASH 7
HELPED GREEKS
Lloyd George Denies That.
the British Government
Has Ever Given Them
Either Money or Arms.

London, Oct. tby the ASsoclal-
ed Press. 1.-The government TO-
night issued report on the con-
ference which the labor deputa-
tions had with Premier Lloyd
George on September 21, hitherto
kept secret. The prime minister
in replying to the deputations'
"stop the war" protests, the report
indicates, devoted his speech main-
ly to proving that the government
policy had been identical with that
long advocated by the labor party,
namely, maintenance of the free
dom of the straits under control of
the league of nations. and that the
subject of populations in Anatolia
could not be left under the Turks.
But he regretted that this policy
became impossible because the
United States, France and Italy
had declined to undertake the nee
essary mandates in these regions.
Position o. the Straits.
The prime minister argued that
under the Angora pact the position
of the straits would be the same as
it was in 1914, when the Turks
closed the straits; therefore even
control by the league of nations
would be useless unless an ade-
quate force was planned there by
the league to see that the straits
were kept neutralized. He con-
tended that the Kemalist govern
ment had given no undertaking to
do anything more than proffer a
verbal guarantee of the freedom
of the straits, and declared;
"You cannot defend the straits
by Haunting a covenant in the face
of those trying to force them"
Mr.. Lloyd George pointed out
that refusal to refer the matter to
the league of nations came from
other nations, not England. Asked
whether freedom of the straits
meant Notifications in the hands
of some interested body, the pre-
mier replied that that would be
for the leagne to decide. He also
admitted hat there should be no
interference with the straits either
by Great Britain or any other ma
ton. "Otherwise," he added, chat
is not Decentralization"
Prevent War From Spreading.
On the general question, the
premier reiterated that the govern
ment policy was to prevent the war
from spreading into Europe and
he contended that the strong meas
ures the government had already
taken and intended to continue to
take were the best means of pre-
vention. Mr.. Lloyd George denied
that the British government had
ever given either money or arms
to the Greeks: on the contrary it
had warned them when they went
to Smyrna that they were going
entirely on their own responsible
ity and al their own expense
They were told also-''we cannot
support you, or take the responsI-
bility."
The prime minister said that all
he was now doing was to treat the
Turks and the Greeks alike in re-
gard to the neutral zones which
the British were holding for the
allies, and 1t was imperative un-
til a peace conference was held to
prevent war from spreading to Eu-
rope.
His final remark to the deputa-
tion was:
"Ihe one chance OF stopping
the war is for Kcmal to know
that we are not going to be
turned out of the straits If he
knows that he won't go there.
II he believes that our nation
is divided and that he is get
ting encouragement to go on
he will be very likely to pur-
sue war-liIe policy"