CONSTANTINOPLE FOR THE TURKS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 12

CONSTANTINOPLE FOR THE TURKS.

FUTURE OP THE DARDANELLES. (from our own correspondent.) LONDON, March 11. Although tho future of Smyrna and Thrace is still the bone of contention between the Greeks and the Turks, soriie progress has been made at the International Conference on Near Eastern problems. Important concessions to Turkey, involving radical modification of the Treaty of Sevres, were offered yesterday by the Allies, through M. Bfiand, the French Premier, to Bekir Sami Bey, head of the Nationalist delegation from Anatolia. They are so important that both delegations thought it would-be best to consult their respective Governments personally. Therefore tho Greek and Turkish representatives will leave for home immediately. Rechid.Bsy w»U remain in London in the meantime as the Turfesh Nationalist representative. M. Briand put the following .modifications to the Treaty before the Turks: | —Constantinople to be evacuated by tho Allies, excluded from the zone of the straits, and. restored to its pre-war status under Turkish sovereignty. Abolition of the zone of the straits as defined in the Treaty of Sovres. The Allies to maintain fortified positions, with garrisons, at one point on the Gallipoli. Peninsula, and at Chanak on theAsiatic, coast opposite, thus holding tho entrance to the straits. De-militarisation of the coast'from tho Dardanelles to Rodosto. Neither Turks .nor Allies to construct fortifications of anj kind Dismanthn tr of. the Turkish forts controlling the Bosnhorus. (Probable establishment of" Allied garrison.) Turks to have free communication between European and Asiatic shores. Turks to be permitted to reconstruct the defences of Constantinople, including the.Tchataldja lines. Interallied financial commission to bs under the honorary presidency of tho Turkish Minister of Finance, and to include another Turkish member.

Turkish • army to be increased from 35.Q00, as authorised by the Treaty of Sevres; to 75,000* Mr! Lloyd George and Lord Curzon met the-Greeks and placed the sugges-tions-before ihem. The delegates wore informed that the Supreme council would, continue to be at the disposal of both parties until a satisfactory arrangement is arrived at. It has, of course, been recognised by our Allies that Great Britain, ao the greatest Mohammedan Power in the world, "has a very special interest and position in the matter. The initiative in the proposals for a settlement was therefore left to the British Govern-ment;'.''-Not only so, but it was felt that-this country is in the best position to. make its influence felt in Doth Greek'and Turkish camps. French and Italian representatives frankly ad"mitted. that their views lay more on the Turkish side, and, that therefore Great was-more fitted to take 'a leadjiowards achieving a settlement. In:'wnat\he has done, however; Mr Lloyd; George has the full support of his' Allied colleagues, who t , recognise that,Jiis proposals are very fair and equitable. Refusal of the Greeks, and the greatly modified acceptance by the Turks, of the proposal that an Inter-Allied Commission should investigate the population question in ' the Thrace and Smyrna areas, caused the Allies to adopt' another T suggestion, regarding, Smyrna: at least. In this matter Great Britain/proposes that regard should be ' entertained for the interests nnd sentithe Turks, with the proviso that .there should be full exercise of the right' \of self-detgrmination for the Greeks inhabiting the area in question. Turkish sovereignty 7 will be nominally recognised by the flying of the Crescent flag on"> the Smyrna fort, and the Turks hav» .also requested a certain privile in the payment of The an.«, will :be divided into districts, according to population, and S m y rna > ;8o necessary to the as the hinterland is to the city, will practically Become, under the proposals, • a free port. . . It has been intimated by the Supreme Council that there must.ibe no hostili T ties during the time in matter is before-.the Turkish and Greek; Governments. '"' ' '"' *•'•■•."•• •;

In the meantime,' the French have completed their separate peace withrthe Turks. It provides for an exchange; of prisoners; a fresh delimitation of the Cilieian-Syrian border; the military evacuation of Cilicia by the French army, upon the Turks agreeing to recognise the French mandate, over Syria and the rights of the Christian "minority," otherwise -the Armenians of and also agreeing to the establishment of a local gendarmerie under European officers. The evacuation of Cilicia .will mean that a considerahle\Kt>malist force will be released from that region, and in some quarters there exists a fear that the Angora Government, over which no one can exercise any effective control, will make, a military bid for Smyrna, so that'when the'.delegations appear again before the Supreme Counsel] the Turks will be able to demand the retention of the Smyrna area on the ground that "possession is nine points of the law." On the other hand, it is argued that the concessions proposed to the Turks are of such a nature that they will not run the risk of losing them by resorting to such military action. ■ -»

There is another point. The -lose working together of the "official" Turks an\l the.Angora representatives in London has brought the two parties very close together. ..If a settlement is arrived at with Gr;-ece and the Allies, then the twb Turkish parties will •lost likely arrnngS their difference*. In' that case the Kemalist influence would be predominant in Turkey, as it' lias be,-n, under the shrewd diplomacy of Bekir Sami Bey, in the two delegations' here. The Angora Turks have much to lose; therefore, hy disobeying the Allies in the matter of rent-wed hostilities.

In association, Sir W. Marris and Dr. J. ,W. Gamer, lytve just brought out a book entitled "Oivil Government for Indian" Students." "The Times" describes the book as having been written from a democratic point of view, which is natural, since India is preparing herself for democracy. The reviewer adds: "The chapters which e*r plain the Constitution of England, of the United States, of the colonips, and of India, may be recommended, not only for Indian students, but to all students of politics who wish to read a concise account of those various systems of government. In particular tho explanation of 'responsible government,' as opposed to other forms of democracy, should prove, useful to those who, aspiring to be the future Ministers of India, must first 'learn that'tky cannpt onjoy privileges without incurring