The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1918. TURKEY SUING FOR PEACE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 16, 14 October 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1918. TURKEY SUING FOR PEACE

It is now reported that Turkey has made peace proposals to President Wilson. The- report had not been officially confirmed at time of writing, but there are many strong indications that the Turkish Government will in the very near future follow the example of Bulgaria, and get out of the'war on tho best terms it can obtain. It may be. taken for granted that the Allies will insist upon unconditional surrendor, and as Turkey's position is quite as desperate as Bulgaria's she will haveto accept whatever terras may be imposed upon her. The downfall of Enveb Pasha and the Young Turks is a sure sign.' that Germany s mana has collapsed, and t the formation of a peace Ministry is a confession' to tho world that Turkey has had enough of war. ■ Enveb Pasha was the Kaiser's special friend. Dr. 'Seton-Watson, in discussing , the issues of the war, refers to the bitter irony of the fact that William 11. who risked universal war under the pretence of avenging tho murder of his friend, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, should find himself closely allied with Enver Pasha, the military adventurer who foully assassinated his own Oomman-der-in-Ohief, 'Nazim Pabha. The Young Turkish movement has ■brought disaster to Turkey. At irst its leaders succeeded in making the world believe that they, were apostles of progress and regeneration. They talked much about democracy and liberty, but as soon' as they had the power they became ' tyrants and persecutors. Their deeds have damned them. When the war broke out it became evident that Turkey was in the grip of Germany, and alter a hollow pretence of neutrality she entered the struggle on the side of the Central Powers. Germany hoped that Turkey's example would lead to a revolt of tho Mohammedan populations of the British Empire and of the Moslems who owe allegiance to .France. Tho Sultan proclaimed a Holy War, but his attempt to exploit the sacred traditions of the Mohammedans in the interests of the Kaiser proved an utter failure. His appeal was treated with the contempt it deserved. The German-made Jehad was a ridiculous fiasco. Indian Moslems form a large proportion of the troops which have shattered the power of Turkey in Palestine and Mesopotamia, in co-operation with the Arabs of the Hejaz. Defeat has at last opened the eyes of the Turks to the fact that they have backed the wrong horse, and they are now suing for peace.

In its wail of despair the Krupp newspaper declares that Germany is dying at the hands of her own allies. Germany is accusing her accomplices of betraying her-r-of stabbing' , her in the back. But her beaten dupes have more cause to howl about treachery than she has. Austria and Turkey and Bulgaria have been dragged to. ruin at her heols. She planned and plotted the war, and induced them by threats and ■promises' to join the conspiracy. They were all out for plunder. An alliance based upon prospect of. spoil rests on very insecure foundations. The parties to such a nefarious compact were not likely to recognise any moral obligation to each other, and when once the alliance began to crack the full smash was bound to come quickly. Germany's satellites knew well that she would not hesitate' to sacrifice them in. order to save her own skin, and they_ have no compunction about deserting her to save thcmselves-ror to save as much as they can from the | wreckage. As soon as Bulgaria, cried "enough," it was inevitable 1 that Turkey should desire to get out of the fight as quickly as possible, and the surrender of these two belligerents must seal the doom of Austria. As far as our enemies are concerned, it is now a case of everyone for himself and the devil take tho hindmost. Austria and Germany are making frantic efforts to clothe themselves in the disguise of democracy in order to gain fav- j our in the sight of Pbesident Wilson. The Pan-German Press is suring'thc world that Prussian militarism has .been slain by social democracy, while the Emperor of Austria is issuing proclamations with feverish haste with the object | of making tho Allies believe that the grievances of the oppressed nationalities within his Empire have been removed. Turkey is not able to find any democratic garment that will fit her; but she nas pushed Envee Pasha and his cut-throat gang into the background, and, having formed .a peace Ministry, she is trying to look as'harmless as a dove.

When things wore going well with tho Central Empires Germany was lavish in her promises to Turkey. In an article headed "Our Turkish Friend" the 'Cologne Gazette said that in the peace negotiations tho 'Germans would defend Turkey's cause and would not jermit her security to be reckoned less than the security of their own national future. . This was to be Turkey's reward for refusing to do "a Judas deed" against Germany. But that day of thinking" has gone by, and the time for mutual recrimination has come. Recent events have shown Turkey that tho Germans lured her to ruin by false promises and by vain boasts of invincibility, and Turkey now betrays her betrayer on the principle that one "Judas deed" deserves another. But unconditional surrender will not enable Turkey to escape from the consequences of her crimes. Tho Ottoman Empire will have to'be- drastically rearranged. In hie address to Congress in January last President Wilson asserted' that' "tho Turkish portions of the Ottoman Empire should be assured of a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely

unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free passage to the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees." This means that large portions of Asia Minor will be liberated from the deadly blight of Turkish misrule. An independent Arab kingdom will certainly be recognised,by the Allies, and the Holy Land will not bo thrust back into the bondage from which it has been released by General Allbnby. Me. Lloyd George has declared _ that Arabia, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine are entitled to recognition of their separate national potsk

tions. The Turk is a notorious schemer and haggler. To gain his ends he will grovel and cringe; but. cunning and crawling will not avail on this occasion, A peace based on impartial justice will deprive him of the right to exercise dominion ovor peoples who arc intellectually and morally his superiors. His claws must be drawn.