Evening star., 1922-12-31
PROSPERITY, STRIKES,
AMONG CHIEF EVENTS
NTHE UNITED STATES
General UPsets in November
Elections Reflect Unsettled
Conditions of Country.

tions for the reduction Of the war bill.
and from time to time made prepara-
against Germany. such as occupying
the Ruhr district and the national for
ests In the Rhineland. Always Great
Britain objected to this until late in
the year, when Bonar Law had sue
ceeded Lloyd George as prime minis
government might support such a
move by France when Germany should
default In the. reparations payments
due in January.
Economic Conference.
On April 10 an economic and finan-
cial conference, called by the allied
supreme council, opened in Genoa
Germany and Russia were invited to
participate. under certain restrictions.
but soon after the sessions began the
delegates Of those two nations con-
cluded q treaty canceling their war
debts and the treaty Of Brest-Litovsk
and establishing full diplomatic rela-
great powers. despite the protests Of
the neutrals, barred the Germans
from further participation In the dis
cussion of Russian affairs. which was
the most important subject before the
conference then. The allied nations
offered to give financial aid to Russia
under certain conditions. but Belgium
refused to agree to this. and day or
two later the French withdrew their
assent. charging that Lloyd George
was practicing trickery to gain con-
troll Of the Russian oil fields. Mean
while the soviet delegates were max
irg such excessive demands that the
uselessness Of further negotiations
became evident and the conference
adjourned after adopting an eight
month truce with Russia 1t was
agreed that another meeting to deal
.H h. hald
Hague. The United States declined an
invitation to this conference. This
second meeting lasted from June Is
to July 20, and ended without result.
because the other nations could not
stomach the excessive demands OF the
Russians for credits in return Tor
concessions.
Offensive Against Greeks.
Mustapha Kemal Pasha and the
Turkish nationalists. who had disa-
vowed all the doings of the Turkish
government at Constantinople. spent
the summer in eecreteiy preparing for
q great offensive against the Greeks
in Anatelia They opened 9n,s ths the attack attack
completely by surprise. Within one
week the Greek armies had been
routed and driven back to Smyrna
and other coast positions and Athens
was asking for an armistice ana
Kemal occupied Smyrna on Septem-
Der 9, and five days later a large
part Of the city was destroyed by
flames At first the Turkish troops
velopments indicated the coufiagra-
tion was started by the fleeing Greeks
and by looters. Great Britain. which
had been sponsor 70 rthe Greek ven.
ture in Asia Minor. was alarmed
by the expressed intention OF the ma
stantinople and the rest of the old
Turkish empire. and she called on
her dominions and France, Italy.
Serbia. Rumania and Greece to join
her in the defense Of the Dardanelles;
France. which had been giving aid
and comfort to the Turks. and
Italy objected to military operations
against the Kemalists, and some Of
the British dominions were notice.
ably cool.
Britain Takes Military Steps.
However, Britain hurried reinforce
ments to her land and naval forces
in the near east and let the Iurs
act alone If necessary. The allies
on September 23 invited the national
lists to q peace conference. agreeing
to return to them Constantinople and
eastern Thrace & In return ct n. Tor otr.tfs the
Kemal insisted that Russia must be
included. and the allies agreed that
the soviet government should par
ticipate in settlement Of the question
Of the Dardanelles- After several
trying days. when war seemed al
most unavoidable. the allies and ma
tionalists met at Mudania on October
to arrange an armistice. A week
later a proticol was signed providing
for the. evacuation of eastern! Thrace
by Greece within fifteen days and its
delivery to Turkey within forty-hve
days, and, yielding to the Kemalists
the civil control Of Constantinople
pending a peace conference. This
opened in Lausanne. Switz-
erland. November 20. with the pros
pect Of being long In session. The
United States declined full partici-
patton, but sent Ambassador Child.
Minister Crew and Admiral Bristol
to guard the interests of America
and Americans, these being espe-
cially in connection with the oil fields
Of Mosul.
Fr0ntieFs Discussed.
The conference had to deal with
the frontiers of the Turkish state.
both in Europe and In Mesopotamia,
where the oil fields are located. and
there were Indications that the Brit
ish would be willing to abandon their