Evening star., 1922-09-15
Hundreds of Bodies Reported
Lying in Streets of Loot
ed Town.
ALLIES ACT TO PREVENT
CONSTANTlNOPLE ATTACK
American Officials Rescued; IA
Naturalized U. S. Citizens
Reported Missing.
Bv the Associated Press.

Bv the Associated Press
Massacres of far-reaching propor-
tions are reported to have occurred
at Smyrna. attending the terrible con-
fagration which has just swept over
the city.
The first reports came from Greek
sources and estimated the victims as
high as 1000 to 1000 Later reports
from British eyewitnesses and from
Americans arriving at Greek ports
tended to confirm the massacres and
gave narrowing accounts of the ex-
tent of the devastation wrought.
An English agency dispatch declar-
ed the British admiral had warned
the Turks at smyrna that II the mas
sacres continued the Turkish quarter
would be bombarded.
correspondent OF Reuters arriV-
ing at Malta said hundreds of bodies
of the victims were lying in the
streets of smyrna when he left and
that the pillaging and killings were
continuing. Tile Greeks were not
blameless. he declared. as they had
aroused the Turks by setting fire to
villages during the retreat of the
Greek army.
The invasion of the British consul
Idle AT smyrna Dy tne urkS anu t1e
murder of an official there also were
reported.
A Greek semofficial dispatch from
Athens quoted an American inveSti-
gator as estimating the number OF
victims up to the time Of the fire in
from the confiagration is estimated
in the Greek quarters at $75,0OO,0Oo.
Meanwhile the various European
chancelleries are considering meas
~ Il al
opments of the Turkish victory, in
cluding the calling of a peace con-
terence to settle the near eastern
question. 1t seems probable the
Turks will be given a joint allied
warning to respect the neutrality OF
the Constantinople district in the
meantime, and not march upon that
city or invade Thrace.
Civil students Missing.
Ey the Associated Press.
LONDON, September 15.-Fron l.80o.
TO 1000 Christians had been massacred
in Smyrna by the Turks before the Asia
Minor seaport recently evacuated by
the Greek army was swept by fire, II
is charged in semi official and other
Greek messages from Athens received
here today.
Among the Turkish outrages was the
carrying off Of many pupils Of the
American Girls College. 1t Is believed.
The Greek belief is that the fre was
set by the Turks to conceal the traces
of their alleged misdeeds.
A considerable share of the property
loss from the fire. the total OF which
is estimated in Greek quarters at one
billion francs tabout $75,000,e00 at
present exchange rate for the French
franco, fell upon American firms.
Massacre Follows Fire.
A message from Greek semi-official
sources at Athens dated Thursday
reads:
absolutely trustworthy persons be-
longing to the foreign colonies at
Smyrna and notably Americans arriv-
ing here on the destroyer Simpson,
which also brought United States Con-
sui General Horton, relate terrifying
details regarding the massacre of
reduced the Armenian. Greek and
European sections of the town to ashes.
According to the general Sonvic-
tion the fire was started by the Turks
to efface the traces of their massa-
cres and other crimes. Miss Mills,
matron of the American giris' COL
lege, declares she saw an officer or
non-comm missioned officer of the Turk
ish regular army enter a house
carrying several cans of petrol. Soon
after he came out the house burst
into flames.
Fire appeared Immediately in other
sections of the town even near the
Turkish quarter of Basma Khane.
This was the first day after the
Turkish occupation.
"A southeasterly wind drove the
flames west. the Turkish quarter thus
escaping untouched
Refugees in College.
BESIDES the pupils, about 1900
refugees had been taken into the
college. which was near the place
where the fire started. The fate of.
many of the girl pupils Is unknown
and it is alleged they have been car
ried off by the Turks.
when the Simpson left the flames
had reached the Quays and were mem
acing the foreign consulates.
Prior to the fire there were mas
sacres, which continued through the
night in the midst of the flames. 1t
is Impossible to estimate the number
Of killed. DR.. Post, an American, who.
with members of the American Relief
Administration. made an investigation
expressed the opinion that the num-
Der of victims up to the time OF the
mates from Athens run as high as
200O) A large number of Christians
are believed to have perfshed In the
flames.
Losses Are Enormous.
The foreign trade suffered en-
ormous losses, especially branches or
agencies of the big American tobacco
houses. such as the Gary Tobacco
Company and the Standard CONNER
cial Trading Company of New York,
nearly all of whose stocks were
destroyed. The total material losses
are set at one billion francs.
Great quantities of provisions were
destroyed, creating a food shortage.
Several French and British establish
ments. the French College of st.
Joseph and other French schools and
the American Y. M. C. A. were
destroyed. The outlying Greek and
Armenian villages and the suburbs
of Burja and Burnabat. where Eu-
ropeans reside, were burned"