The Washington herald., 1922-09-14
Turkish Victory Ends Greek
Dream of Byzantine Empire
Britain Suffers Diplomatic Defeat in Near East,
While France and Italy Rejoice
atDefeat of Greece.
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

By FRANK H. SIMONDS.
The Greek debacle has two as
poets. 1t must be viewed as one
more incident in the long battle OF
the Greek race to establish and main
tain a footing on the Asiatic shore
and 1t must equally be seen as an
incident in the struggle between
Britain and France in the Eastern
Mediterranean.
Since the fall OF the Byzantine
empire there has survived in all
Greek domination extended to the
Cilician gates, while ancient Greek
history records that il was in de-
fense OF the Hellenic colonies on
the Asiatic shore, near modern
Smyrna, that Athens braved the
wrath Of the Persians and in the
end won the great victory of Mara
thon.
Many Creeks in Smyrna.
Despite the collapse of the Byzan-
tine world there has remained in
Constantinople and in Asiatic Tur-
Key very great Greek population:
in Smyrna alone the Greeks out
number all other races combined.
Since the liberation of a portion If
ancient Greece in the last century,
moreover. the dream of a revival of
Byzantine glories. OF the occupation
of Constantinople and the east
shore of the Aegean has been in
the imagination Of all Greeks
aff,z. z.f
ed much of the Greek hope into
solid reality. The first Balkan war
in 1912 gave Greece, Salonica. much
of Macedonia and all the islands of
the Aegean save these seized by
Italy In the previous year. during
the Libyan war. The second Balkan
war brought Cavalla and much OF
the northern shore fthe Aegean.
while il turned Bulgaria out Of
Adrianople and thus left the road
clear for eventual Hellenic inheri-
tance.
King Baked Plans
When the world war broke. Veni-
Zelos unhesitatingly advocated al
lance with the countries opposing
Germany ard when the Germans
came south into Serbia. prepared to
carry out the terms of the Serbian
alliance and go to the aid of the
Serbs. But at this moment the king
interviewed and kept Greece neutral.
but in reality n secret ally of the
kaiser. who was Constantine's
brother-;n-law.
After long period of maneu-
vering. the situation eliminated in
the expulsion of Constantine by
French forces. Britain refusing to
asst openly. Alexander succeeded
Constantine and Venizelos prompt
ly threw his country's aid to the
Allies. This eleventh hour shift
restored Greek fortunes and after
the German surrender Venizelos
came to Paris and was able to har-
vest for his country vast gains.
Given Mandate for smyrna.
Before the Paris conference had
adjourned. Greek soldiers were per-
mitted even requested. to occupy
Smyrna to forestall any Italian
move. BY the various treaties
Greece acquired title TO all of
Thrace right up to the environs of
Constantinople. together with most
Of the shore of the Sea of Marmora.
She also received a mandate for the
Smyrna region and was promised
Northern Epirus, on the Albanian
frontier and all of the Aegean ISL
ands. save Rhodes, which the Ital-
ians had occupied.
But at this point there was a
domestic political upset. The young
King Alexander died as a result of
monkey bite. Nenizelos was de-
feated in an election and Constan-
tine came back. Thus it devolved
upon the king to make good in fact
the claims which Venizelos had es-
tablished in Paris.
France Gives Aid to Turks.
Meantime, however. the interna-
tional situation had changed. France
never forgave Constantine for his
responsibility for the murder of
French sailors in Athens and saw
the whole Greek affair as a British
design to gain control not alone of
the Aegean but also of Constanti-
nople. Accordingly France now
shifted sides and began to support
the Turks. While the Sultan re-
mained a prisoner of the Allies at
Constantinople and was forced to
assent to the treaties depriving
Turkey of Adrianople and Smyrna.
Kemal Pasha broke away, estab-