Evening star., 1922-10-15


! low to make q summer runs
an old saw. and it may be
fttingly applied to the sign
! ing Of the protocol by the Turks.
| Greeks and the allies at Mudania
! during the past week. True. the
! agreement reached after much pow
/: wowing and recrimination repre-
| sents a long step in the right direc-
! ton. IN that it has prevented, for the
! moment, any danger of immediate e
I hostiiities between the larger powers
! and the TurleF, but the situation has
/; not passed the danger point, nor will
i It until a definite treaty of peace
| has been signed. that treaty ratified
| and the bitter prejudices and an
| tipathies of tens of hundreds of thou
! sands of people affected. thereby rele-
| gated for the common good of gem
! eral reconstructive endeavor III south
eastern Europe and the near east.
! The situation as il stands at the
/ moment is this. The Turks have
| agreed to respect the allied neutral
! zone about the Dardanelles, Bosporus
and Sea of Marmora, as well as Con-
: stantinople. Their troops VIII be
! withdrawn if protocol agreements are
h, lived up to. The allies. on the other
(! hand, Greece concurring, have con-
! sented TO the reoccupation of eastern
! Thrace by the Turks. after period
! of thirty to forty-hve days, in which
the Grecian populations of Thrace
| will be evacuated and the Grecian
| troops in these regions recalled. The
| allies are to administer over the terri
! tory with the assistance of Turkish
gendarme and civil authorities. and
, all efforts at reprisals against the
! Greeks and Christian populations are
! to be taboo.
/ Position Of England.
! It cannot be said that England has
! lost or won by the agreement. though
f. the main principle in regard to the
Dardanelles has been retained. Il is a
principle which has been the cruX Of the
British policy, though at one time Down
. ing street demanded that the Turks be
! prevented from entering Europe at all.
The French foreign office claims a
great diplomatic victory in the further
ance of French influence, though this
| victory on being dissected by French
publicistS is considered hollow, inaSmuch
as it has thrown the burden of proof
/; against France, when it comes TO the
!
Turk as against friends that came TO
! her aid in the war against Germany.
| The Turks have agreed to all points,
/: but reluctantly, they possibly knowing
i that there is n vast difference between
| a military and political protocol and u
treaty of peace.
! Much water will flow under political
| bridges in the near east and Thrace
! during the course of the next few
months and this the Turks may be eX-
pected to take advantage Of wherever
there is opportunity. 1t is a noticeable
fact that notwithstanding. all is sup
posed to be calm and serene. England
| continues to send naval and military
forces to the Dardanelles, and there is
i no indication whatsoever that the
Turkish armies and leaders consider the
protocol as the last word. or that the
Turkish army will be reduced on the
supposition that there is 10 further -ea-
son to keep II intact. Even France has
| failed to withdraw Such troops as She
has over and above those that will as
i s;st the allies in the ma ntenance of
peaca and order in Thrace during the
period Of Greek evacuation.
Big Point at Issue.
| But right here comes the big point
at issue. It - the question as to
whether the revolutionaries who con-
troll the destinies Of the Grecian mill
tary forces will withdraw from
Thrace without a tremendous up
lleaval and before effort is made ~
lresist allied and Turkish dictates in
regard to the question OF Th.ace
True, the Grecian government has
conceded all points demanded during
the Mudana conference. OStenst5ly
the Grecian troops would withdraw
under normal circumstances. but in
consideration of the whole question.
1t must be taken Tor granted first of
all that conditions are. not nor
NAL. There yet remains doubt as 10
how far the new Grecian regime can
control its military forces. permeated
as they are with the idea that the
loss of Thrace means a 6ecadent
Greece, a Greece that must hang ItS
head in the councils of the nations.
The quitting OF Thrace betrays every
heartfelt desire of centuries.
Grecian traditions must be perpetu-
ated in Thrace, the army has been
taught relig.ously and particularly
since the loss of Anatolian territories.
Can the Grecian soldier be expected
to have a change of heart simply
because the Athens regime wills il:
If the Grecian army, weary of the
failures of Constantine. dared to
bring on the kings abdication can
this Grecian army be expected TO
| capitulate completely first without
some show of resistance to any de-
cree deprivinE Greece of Thrace:
Will not patriotic fervor that carried
the army to resist royal DEGREES lead
it to resist the allies?
Greek General Defiant.
There can be little comfort in the
situation when viewed impartially by