THE NEAR EAST

Peace? The veil has been lifted and Mustapha Kemal Pasha speaks for the Turkish nation: " We desire peace! " This is a propitious omen for the future of the new Turkish State, and, backed by real sincerity, it will indubitably raise the prestige of Turkey in the West. It is certainly a feather in the fezzes of Mustapha Kemal Pasha and Ismet Pasha, his Foreign Minister.

Refusal. The National Assembly rejected the Lausanne Treaty because it was contrary to the National Pact. The greater part of the Treaty has, however, been approved, and it only remains now to reach an agreement on a few important points. Ismet Pasha has been given full power to continue the postponed Lausanne Conference and it is certain that the Allies will readily consent to reopening the discussion.

Counter Proposals. The Turkish counter proposals to some of the clauses of the Treaty are now on their way to the Allied capitals and they will be published shortly. Reports from Angora state, however, that the Turks will ask for the settlement of the financial clauses by conversations outside the scope of the Treaty, thus facilitating an early peace. The Turks have, apparently, come round to the British point of view with regard to Mosul. They suggest that the Mosul question be settled amicably between Turkey and Great Britain within one year.

History. The forerunning events leading up to the present situation are that Turkey refused to sign the Treaty of Sevres establishing the terms of peace that the Allied Powers were willing to grant her. In this Treaty Greece was given practically the whole of western Thrace and a large stretch of land in Asia Minor. On August 28 last year the Turks started their attack on the Greeks, and on September 9 Turkish troops entered Smyrna after the Greek army had left. France, Italy, and Britain on September 29 issued a note to Turkey inviting her to participate in a conference at Lausanne. The Allies greatly modified their terms for a peace understanding with Turkey, but despite that the conference adjourned. After the presentation of a treaty containing the Allied terms, the Turkish delegation left Lausanne for Angora to confer with their government.