DISPOSING OF THE TURK
TREATY DISCUSSED IN HOUSE OF COMMONS
MR. LLOYD GEORGE DEFENDS ALLIES'DECISION ~
PROTECTION FOR THE .ARMENIANS' ; ".'. By Telegraph—Prei-s Association-Copyright (Kec. February 28, 0.20 a.m.) . . London, .February'..26.' In the Bouse of Commons the greatest interest was aroused by tho debate on tho fulure of Turkey which arose in the afternoon on tho motion for- adjournment, the Coalition attaching sufficient importance to it to send-out a Whip. ■
Sir Donald Maclean (Liberal leader) opened the debate, stressing tho'- deep obligation tho'Umpire owed to India', but tlcclaring that Britain- was under -Up obligation of any kind to the Turks, who entered the war without .provocation from Britain. . He.. described Constantinople as a cesspool of intrigiie,..the breeder of war, the-source of-massacres and horrors.' If tho Turks were' .left/to their Constantinople,- once- again it would be tho seat of a world disturbance. ...
'Mr. Lloyd George declared that.' the Peace Conference.had carefully weighed the advantages and disadvantages, "' and considered all difficulties, obstacles, -. and perils. After discussing all these; the Conference came .to' the conclusion that on tho whole. the■ better course was io retain the Turk at Constantinople "for the achieving of tho common end." Referring' to a couplo of his pledges in reference to Turkey .with- which his opponents • had . made great play, Mr. Lloyd George declared. that the. first pledge, namelv, "There will be a different porter at the gates of the '-Bosporus/'. would be fulfilled to the letter. (Cheers.) As to the second pledge, given in.a-speech in January, '1918, after ful-lconsultation, and with the•consent of all. parties,, he stated that the Allies were not .fighting as a challengo to the maintenance of tho Turkish Emrjire With its capital'-at Constantinople; subject to the passage from tho. Mediterranean to the Black. Sea being internationalised and neutralised; also that Arabia, Armenia, ".Mesopotamia, Syria, and Palestine would be entitled to recognition 'as nationalities.: Tho declaration was specified,, unquali-. fied, and most deliberate; The immediate effect was that • recruiting went up appreciably. Nearly half a million' enlisted, in India altogether. Britain could'- not have conquered Turkey without that help, and nothing would damage .the British power in Asia'more than tho feeling that, they .could not trust the: British word. (Cheers.) . Proceeding, Mr.-, Lloyd Georgo' declared' that when the' peace terms Were published .there would not ba a friend of 'the''Turk,'if any were left, who did not realise that he had been terribly'.punished, for his follies and crimes. He would -be.strjpped .of more.than half his."Empire,,his capital would be under Allied guris,' and ho would be deprived of his army arid' navy. The prestige which the guardianship gave waa important, as -.it affected the protection of' minorities. Turkey would be deprived ' entirely of., that guardian-' ship. The, forts would be dismantled arid the Turk would have-no troops' anywhere &it,hin reach -of- his_ gates....Tho Allies advised the garrisoning of tho Dardanelles, and... if necessary, the . Bosporus, which could be carried but with a comparatively small force. ■ The alternative to the proposal was an international government at : Constantinople; • and-. tho surrounding .country, ' which, .would'.,be the most unsatisfactory government which anyone could 6hoose. ' One. of the difficulties had been the falling'out of Bussia- and America. He had .hoped that America might take the. guardianship of the Armenians, and even of Constantinople,: but America .for the mo.'ment cbuld bp reckoned :o\it of'kriy' arrangement'. ■ ..- /
Discussing the effect of internationalisation on tho protection of minorities, the Prime Minister said . Sir Donald Maclean proposed to,, remove the Turk from a place whero lie could .not;easily direct massacres to a spot where ho could organise them without -It would be to the greater, safety of. every Armenian if ho knew thatr,he.had ; the protection of the British.Fleet. If the Sultan lived at Kovieli. he would bo surrounded by n' fanatical population without knowledge of the outside world. The Allies had deprived-the-Turk-of the guardianship of. the road ..to - the Black Sea, which gave him real authority in tho councils .of tho world. They had also taken every precaution-to see that tho minorities who' Buffered so bitterly in tho past" would -bavo every protection, not of. the interchange of-.Notes, but that which is derivable from, the, knowledge that those who had..been persecuting them.woukl.be signing' their decree under .the .menace of British, Froneh, and Italian guns. (Cheers.)— 'Aus.-N.SS. Cable Assn.-Reuter.
MOSLEMS AND THE CALIPHATE
BRITISH LABOUR PARTY'S VIEWS,
London, February 25. The Labour Party's statement in reply to the Indian Moslems, points out that the Caliphate of the Osmanli. Turks is not acknowledged by the rest of the' Mohammedan world, and as!tho question, is.a religious one it should be settled by the Moslems. The reply distinguishes between the various races formeriy-nnder Turkish rule, and urges that tho principle of self-determination. 6h.0n.1d be applied whero possible. The'i'ntemationalisation. of the Dardanelles and Bosporus is-fa-voured, and tho poputations-of the Syrian districts. Palestine. ! arid Mesopotamia should bo consulted as to whether they, desire the restoration of Ottoman, sovereignty, unconditional independence, or a mandate under the' League of Nations. —Reuter. ■ ...'..
[An influential deputation of. Mussulmans and Hindus interviewed the Viceroy of India in January last in reference to the Caliphate, and besought the 'Imperial Government not to the value of.tho Islamic-friendship and Indian loyalty. The Viceroy, in replying, pointed out that the views of tho Indian Moslems were placed, before the. Paris Conferen'co by'the Indian representatives. ■ The Viceroy reaffirmed that the Caliphate was a question for tho Mohammedans alone, but he. feared that the deputation's contention for. the preservation of the full integrity of the sovereignty' of Turkey might not bo recognised by the Allies. The deputation subsequently issued a .statement rleclaring that ■ the Peace terms were. ■ unfavourable to.the Moslem relision, and placed an undue strain on Moslem loyalty, nml demanding that the holy places of Islam-should tie retained under the . Caliph, subject to guarantees for the. self-government of Arabia. A deputation of Moslems from India reached Venice this week on'its way to London to lay the Moslem views on the, -Caliphate before the-. Supreme Council. . Tho delegates .claim tn represent severity millions of Indian Mussulmans. They stronsly' urgo that '(he Turks should bo'allowed -to retain Conefanliuonle, otherwise they forecast'gra.vo trouble in India.] ' . - ,
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 7
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1,018DISPOSING OF THE TURK Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 7
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