The Washington herald., 1922-09-20
CAN RELY ON FLEET
Eight Battalions Are En-
trenched at Chanak,
Aided by Artillery.
SHIP BATTERIES
OUTRANGE TURKS
Nationalist Leader Lacks
Transports and Guns
To Protect Them

J
! Britain ready for any eventuality
the next move in the Near East
! situation depends on whether Ke-
| NAL Pasha gives assursn noes that he
| intends to respect the neutral zone
around Constantinople or under
takes to advance into the neutral
district IN defiance Of the allid d
warning.
II assurances are received that
no advance Is contemplated.
movement for a Near East peace
! conference will be started at once.
/ But II the Turks advance. guns
/ from the British feet anchored In
/ the Dardsnelles will provide ths
answer. So far there is no Ger
tainty which path the Turks will
Z take.
Troops Entrenched at Chsnak.
Great Britain's situation in tho
Near East Is made stronger by tho
l fact that no offensive operation
/ inland are contemplated.
Britain will rely almost entirely
on the big guns OF her fleet Z,
keep the Turks from attempting to
cross the straits to the European
side. though troops are being corr
! centrated in the region "f ChsnaN
( on the Asiatic side. Eight tst-
F! talions OF infantry. a brigade o.
field artillery and a regiment a.
cavalry are already entrenched st
Chanak. while additional battslions
and heavy howitzers arc on the
way.
This is a small force TO send
against Kemars 100. 0.Oo0-whi.h
probably will be doubled in a fev
week.-but the British stragetic
position ~ 30 strong that numbers
esn be deaed.
The great British battleships
have guns which far outclsss any
thing Kemal has. even admitting
he captured huge quantities OF
ordnance from the Greeks.
Gems Cover 2o-Nne Range:
|, The big batteries OF the Iron
Duke. King George. Benbow. MARI
borough. Ajax and Centurion-esch
mounting nfteen guns Of lS.5
inches caliber-csn cover a range
OF twenty miles. Kemal has moth
7 ing larger than s.2-inch guns. so
far as is known. and he will find
IL exceedingly dinhcult to transport
them with facility. owing TO the
nature of the terrain.
Smaller British craft are on
hand to work closer to the shorS.
The air craft force is being heavily
strengthened and will be an eNcep-
tionally valuable aid in detectiH.
Turk troop concentrations =
Kemals' weakest point IL IN his
lack OF transport and protection
for it. The few carriers he has
been able to collect could b.
smashed up like top ships by the
powerful British guns. should the
Turk leader attempt TO ferry his
troops across the Dsrdanelles.
Cabinet Dehes Critics.
Meanwhile the governments war
plans threaten to precipitate q
crisis at home.
In face Of the smashing campaisn
against the governments Near East
! policy which the NorthclifSe press
and the laborites are conductinR.
the cabinet is not only standing itS
|, ground. but is STRENGTHENING fits
determination to fight the Turks n
persuasion fails to hold back Kemsi
This is seen in the emphatic
declaration following today's cabi-
net meeting TO the effect that IN no
case will the Kemalists be allowed
to cross the Straits until the terms
Of peace have been agreed upon.
The government it was stated. is
satisfied that any attempt TO cross
the Straits csn be stopped. IL neces-
say. by naval action alone
Defends Its Policies.
The cabinet assumed full re-
sponsibility for the declaration
made last Saturday in which the
dominions were called on To assist
in a Near East military campaign.
should one be necessary. This last
stroke was aimed 70 silenc. the
charge that the government has de-
cided the Saturday statement was
a blunder and was ryins 10 back
down.
, Lord Curzon's trip to Paris is he
lieved to have been decided upon 90
. preserve at least a semblance Of al
lied unity. despite the decision Of
, the French cabinet TO remain sIoof.
The British foreign minister also
is expected to discuss peace terms
with Poincare and attempt 20 ar
range some basis for eventual ne
gotiations. France and Great Brit
ain are not only divided regardfng
defensive measures. but are drifting
into a split regarding the ultimate
settlement
Italy withdraw. Troop..
, ofnclal notice from France OF the
withdrawal of French troops from
, Chanak, on the Asiatic side OF the
Dardsnelles. has been received BY
the foreign ONCE. Italy has also
withdrawn her small force and sta
toned IL temporarily at Constan-
tinople.
, Great Britain deprecates this re-
luctance Of France and Italy 20 pro-
vide q share OF the military forces
; that are guarding the Straits
against violation by the Turks.
: There is a feeling in government
. circles here that France and italy
! are over-chary about the danger of
losing a few soldiers in event
Remsl precipitates a clash. Mil
tary authorities have succeeded IN
revivinG confidence in Great Britt
aims ability to hold the Derdsn-
Conftased on Pdoe Too.