Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1923-01-05

tangllng herself in alliances, but moth
Ing definite was suggested and Eu-
rope was skeptical.
On April 10 m economic and inan-
clal conference. called by the allied SUI
preme council, opened In Genoa. Ger.
many and Russia were invited to par
ticlpate; under certain restrictions. but
soon after the sessions began the dele
gates Of those two nations concluded
treaty cancelIng their war debts and
the treaty OF Brest-Litovsk and estab-
fishing full diplomatic relations. Sur
brised and angered. the great powers.
despite the protests Of the neutrals,
barred the Germans from further par
ilclnaton In the discussion Russian
nffalrs, which was the most important
subject before the conference then.
The allied nations offered to give finan-
ciai aid to Russia under certain condl-
tons, but Belgium refused 10 agree to
this and day Or two later the French
withdrew their assent. charging that
Lloyd George was practiclng trickery
to gain control OF the Russian oil
fields. Meanwhile the soviet delegates
we're making such excessive demands
that the uselessness Of further negotla-
tions became evident and the confer
ence adjourned after adopting an eight
months truce with Russia. 1t was
agreed that another meeting to deal
with Moscow should be held at The
Hague. The United States declined
an Invitation to this conference. This
lsecUnd meeting lasted from June is to
July 20 and ended without result be.
cause the other nations could not
stomach the excessive demands Of the
Russians for credits In return for CON
cesslons.
Mustapha Kenal Pasha and the
Turkish hationalists. who had dlsa-
vowed ali the dolngs Of the Turkish
government at Constantinople, spent
the summer In secretly preparing for
great offensive against the Greeks In
Anatolla. They opened the attack on
August % and took the enemy COM
pletely 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 and agreeing to get
out Of Asin Minor. Kemal occupied
Smyrna on September o and flve days
later a large part of the city was de-
stroyed by flames. At first the Turk
ish troops were blamed for this, but la
ter developments indicated the contia-
grafton was started by the fleeing
Greeks and by looters. Great Britain,
which had been sponsor for the Greek
venture in Asia Minor, was alarmed
by the expressed intention Of the ma
tionalIsts to take possession Of Consfan-
tlnople and the rest of the old Turk
Ish empire, and she called on her do
minions and France, Italy. Serbia, Ru-
mania 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 kemnl-
lists, and some of the British domln-
ions were noticeably cool. However,
Britain hurried reinforcements to her
land and naval forces in the Near East
and let the Turk and the world know
that she would act alone IL necessary.
The allies on September % invited
the nationalists to peace conference,
agreeing to return to them Constantl-
n0ple, Adrianople and eastern Thrace
In return for the guaranteed freedom
Of the straits. Kemal insisted that
Russia must be included, and the allies
agreed that the soviet government
should participate in settlement Of the
question Of the Dardanelles. After sew
eral trying days, when war seemed al
most unavoidable, the allies and ma
tionalists met at Mudania on October
3 to arrange an armistice.> A week la
ter protocol was signed providing for
the evacuation of eastern Thrace by
Greece within Is days and its delivery
to Turkey within As days, and, yield
ing to the Kemalists the civil control
Of ConstantInople pending peace con-
ference. This conference opened in
Lausanne. Switzerland. November 20,
with the prospect of being long In ses-
sion. The United States declined full
participation, but sent Ambassador
Child. Minister Grew and Admiral Brls-
tol to guard the interests OF america
and Americans, these being especially
in connection with the oil fields Of
Mosul. The conference had to deal
with the frontiers Of the Turkish state,
both in Europe and In Mesopotamla.
where the oil fields are located, and
with the control of the straits and the
safeguarding Of the Christian minorl-
ties in Turkey. By the middle Of De
cember the conferees were well on the
way tc agreement, Turkey had prom
ised to join the League Of Nations as
soon as peace was signed. and the
treaty was In process Of being drafted,
The International permanent court
Of Justice, perhaps the greatest
achievement of the League of Nations
so far, held its first session in The
Hague on February IS. The council
Of the league met in London in July
II, and five days later announced that
the British mandate for Palestine and
the French mandate for Syria were ap-
proved. The assembly Of the league
began its annual session in Geneva
September 4, with Augustln Edwards
Of Chile presiding. Hungary was ad-
mitted to the league
On May 10 the conference TO settle.
the old Tacna-Arica dispute between
Chile and Peru opened In Washington,
and in due time came to a successful
conclusion. adopting compromise
plan suggested by Secretary Hughes.
Colombia and Venezuela settled their
boundary dispute on April 0. Esthonia.
Latvia. Lithuanla and Albania were
recognized by the United States as SOW
a,,ofo,n states On Juiv 27