Evening star., 1922-03-23
BELIEVE TIME RIPE
TO END HOST|[|T|ES
Poincare; Curzon and Schan-
zer Ask Greeks and Turks
to Seek Peace.

By the Associated Press.
PARIS. March 23.-1nterest i'll ihe
conference on near eastern affairs, IN
progress here. with the foreign min
listers of Great Britain. France and
Italy as the principal conferees, Is
centering. SO far, in the efforts they
have initiated to bring about peace
between the Greeks and Turkish ma
tionalists in Asia Minor. Their first
step was the sending yesterday OF
kilograms to Constantinople. Angora
and Athens requesting an armistice
between the two armies now facing
each other. with a spring offensive by
the Greeks threatening.
Desultory fighting has been going
on between these Greek and Turkish
forces since the Greek offensive was
suspended last September. The Turks
have made several fruitless attempts
to recapture Aion-Karahissar. and
have engaged In continuous harassine
operations.
Military intelligence In possession
OF the allied foreign ministers tndi-
Gates that the Greek forces on the
Asiatic mainland number about 1s5-
900, of whom 100000 are along the
fighting lines, and the remainder en-
gagged in supply, administrative and
police work. Opposing them are about
$4,000 Turks.
Occupy Much Territory.
The Greeks now occupy a territory
more than twice the size Of Switzer-
land, including the important cities
OF Smyrna, Mudania. Brusa and ku-
taia, as well as Eski-Shehr and Alton
Karahissar. key positions on the
Berlin -Bagdad railway.
The present Greek line is about
160 miles west Of Angora, the Tur-
kish nationalist capital. The mill
tary experts consider the Greek po-
sitions strong. King Constantine's.
Angora. have been consolidated and
reinforced by the calling out Of
fresh ciasses. The army is well sup
piled with French. English. German
and Austrian artillery, machine guns
and rifies, and has transport serv-
Ice of 1000 motor trucks and automo-
biles, largely American. and English.
several thousand Missouri mules.
large number Of camel and OK trains
and fifteen afrplanes.
officered. drilled and disciplined. and
are unrelenting fighters. They have
no motor transport and only three
airplanes, but are we'll equipped with
horses, camels and oxen. The troops
live largely on the country and are
able to subsist on the most meager OF
diets. They are regarded by foreign
military observers as having effici-
ent artillery and machine gun units.
Their equipment is mostly English.
German, French. Austrian and Rus
sian. The entire officer force is
Turkish.
Believe Greek Morale Weakens.
Premier Poincare, Lord Curzon and
Signor Schanzer. the allied conferees
here, who consider the time is pro-
pitious for an armIstice. are under
stood to base their judgment on. ad-
vices which they consider indicates
a waning morale on the part Of the
Greek people.
Protection of minorities in Asia
Minor was the chief subject discussed
this morning by the foreign ministers
Premier Poincare declared the treaty
negotiated between France and the
Turkish nationalists at Angora amply
provided for the protection OF the mi-
nority population in the area Of Ci-
licia, handed back to Turkey, over
which France had been given man
date.
The ministers decided to ask Mar
shall Foch and other Of the allied mil
itary authorities to study plan for
the pacific evacuation of the Smyrna
region, an operation which is depend
ent upon the acceptance by Greece
and Turkey of the terms of the ar
mistice drawn up yesterday.