New-York tribune., 1922-09-23
Nationalists Gathering i'm
force at Ismid, Ready
to Strike; More Troops
Move to Chanak Border
Ez-lne, 20 Miles
From Straits, Falls
Colonies Offer Help to
England as LondonFears
Effect of War at Home

LONDON, Sept. 22 (By The Associ-
ated Press).-The Kemalist forces are
rapidly increasing on the Chanak from
tier. but have not committed any overt
acts Of hostility, says Reuter- dis
patch from Constantinople dated Fri
day.
Reliable reports say that still more
serious concentration is occurring at
Ismid, to which region Mustapha Kemal
Pasha, the Nationalist leader, Is pro-
ceeding, and there seems to be ground
for believing the Kemalists will make
Constantinople their objective, rather
than Chanak, inasmuch as larger guam
titles of supplies are available in the
1smid region, while the hostile popula-
ton Of Constantinople would cause
trouble in the rear of the British.
Dispatches to-day from Constantine
pie say that Turkish Nationalist forces
have seized the town Of Ez-Ine, on the
Asiatc side Of the Dardanelles, and are
threatening Kum-K Kalesi, an important
key position on the southern side Of
the Straits. The Kemalists were no
where opposed.
The Nationalist move, in the opinion
Of the naval experts, will enable the
Turks to, prevent free ingress to the
Dardanelles to the British Atlantic
fleet units which are on the way from
Malta. The important positions IN
volved we're up to to-day occupied by
the French and the Italians and from
them the heavy Turkish batteries can
command the entrance to the Straits.
N,Iyae u,ur noy,,,-A
According to other. Constantinople
advices Mustapha Kemal Pasha, the
Turkish Nationalist leader, demands
within forty-eight hours guarantees 10,
the evacuation of Thrace by the
Greeks. On the other hand the Greel
government expresses the strongest de
termination to hold Thrace at all costs
France is supposed to be willing to see
the Turks back in Eastern Thrace, an(
if an agreement between the British
and French governments on this mat.
ter Is reached 1t Is believed Greece
would not be likely to oppose the views
of united Entente.
The Foreign Office has no conf1rma.
tion Of the report that Kemal has fixec
time limit of forty eight hours for
the carrying out of the required guar
antics or of any advance movement by
the Kemalist troops. The government
however, is continuing its prepara-
tions for any eventuality, at the same
time declaring it has no desire to
precipitate hostilities.
According to the view expressed in
official quarters, the issue lies in
Kemal's hands. There is no secret
about the strength of the force the
Nationalist leader is able to put in the
field. No weight is attached to alarm
ist and exaggerated estimates of that
strength.
British to Cling to Chanak
There is considerable speculation
here whether the Kemalists have guns
the British feet or drive it from the
Straits of Dardanelles. 1t has been
reported that the Turks long since
provided themselves with heavy guns
with the object of forcing all naval
vessels from the Straits or for bottling
up the Sea Of Marmora and the Black
Sea. 1t is said to be because of this
report that the British will hold ten
aciously to Chanak, the ground being
taken that no naval vessels can control
the Straits unless they have sufficient
land forces on both sides of the water
way to prevent the Turks from plant
ing heavy land batteries.
A dispatch from semi-oficial source
in Athens, received IN London tonight,
says:
1.-THE government is now devotihg all
its attention-to the reorganization and
reinforcement Of the army in Thrace.
It has taken serious steps which have
been approved by the entire nation"
While awaiting adviees from Kemal
regarding his intentions, Winston
Spencer Churchill, Secretary for the
Colonies, and Sir Laming Worthington-
Evans, Secretary Of State for War, held
conference tonight with War Office
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