Evening star., 1924-01-06
FRANCE.

FRANCE.
1t will be recalled how something over a
year ago NJ. Citroen crossed the Sahara with
hve caterpillar cars from Tuggurt (TouggourD
TO Timbuktu, distance of some 1000 miles
glorious feat? True.
1t demonstrated the practicablity of motor
transportation for the desert? Not quite An
attempt was made with these same CATERPILLAR
cars to cross the stretch of 1S6 miles from
Tuggurt to Toser (Tozeur, southern Tunis) and
1t failed. The caterpillars barely with much
shoveling,- reached the Oasis of EI-wad, sew
enty-fve miles from Tuggurt From Tuggurt
to Timhuktu 1t proved to be hard ground
cept for short stretches. From Tuggurt to
loser it is a country of shifting dunes.
But the other day President Dalpiaz of the
Compaigne Generate Transatlantique crossed
s,d this dune country with ease with two cars Of
special construction. He did it in less than two
days. whereas the camel takes from
twelve The Dalpiaz car has six pairs of wheels
four of them in and apparently can go
anywhere. The stretch from Tuggurt to Toser
oows TO that bs tee In Afre @ ,b
region the area of which exceeds that of the
mendous changes in the Sahara are ahead;
part of 1t will be reclaimed by irrigation.
here be be n faT
motor routes; perhaps railroads
CZECHOSLOvAKIA,
1t is reported that despite excellent reasons
which the Czechoslovak government has for
wishing to keep clear of definite commitment
to support Of French policy it has actually so
bound itself by treaty. If the treaty is of the
character set forth by the French press, 1t
would seem to indicate that Benes the Czech
slovak foreign minister, the most astute and
careful of European statesmen, has convinced
himself that the French policy is assured of
permanent success.
MEMELLAND.
The treaty of Versailles gave to the allies
the right to determine the political status of
the little district of Memelland, with it's i'm
nortant port of Meme1. A few months ago the
conference of ambassadors at Paris, acting for
the allied governments humorously recognized
an assertion of the right Of self determine
tion by the Mellanders and gave Memelland to
Lithuania OH the consideration that the Lth-
uanian government would subscribe certain
raneements intended to facilitate use of the
port of Memel by neighbor states, in particular
Poland. But when convention setting forth
conference Of ambassadors to the Lithuanian
government for signature, the latter SHE'D on
The ambassadors then turned over the matter
latter is creating commission 70 oe COM
posed Of nationals of states which have no
special interest In Memel, to investigate the
dispute and recommend.
The presidency of the commission has been
offered to Mr. Brand Whitiock It is the opinion
uania might go far to induce a general ac-
cord between Poland and Lithuania.
GREECE.
On January q the Greek constituent assem-
bly met and the revolutionary committee and
its obedient instrument. the provisional gov
ernment, formally surrendered to 1t their au-
thority. Col. Plastiras, head of the revolu-
tionary committee. made an apology for the
conduct of himself and his colleagues during
the past fifteen months, which was heartily
applauded. Indeed the colonel and his asso-
cfstss have deserved well of their country,