Sir J. D. REESasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to the report in the Press of a conversation with His Highness the Agha Khan in Paris; and whether His Majesty's Government will take into account the views of this chief representative of the Indian Mahommedans in bringing to a conclusion their negotiations with Turkey and Greece?
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§ Earl WINTERTONI have seen the newspaper report to which the hon. Member no doubt refers, but I have nothing to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House to the Noble Lord the Member for Battersea South on 26th April.
Sir J. D. REESasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the charges of cruelty which are being made against the Greeks in connection with the evacuation of Turkish territory in Ionia; and whether any representations have been made, or are likely to be made, to the Greek Government in this behalf?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe hon. Member is presumably referring to Italian evacuation of the Meander Valley and its occupation by Greek forces. The only charges of cruelty in this connection are contained in a Note from the Angora Government to the Allied Governments, dated 22nd April, where they are adduced as an argument to support the demand that Greek evacuation of the Smyrna district should precede Turkish acceptance of the Allied peace proposals. This suggestion involves a repudiation of the Paris programme and is inacceptable. The charges are in no way confirmed by the information of the British or Italian authorities in Constantinople, and it does not appear to be materially possible for the Angora Government to have had cognisance of the state of the district in question at the time of the despatch of their Note. On the other hand, T have heard officially that, after the Italian evacuation of the Meander Valley and before the arrival of Greek troops, some hundreds of Greek civilians, men and women, were driven off by the Turks as hostages.