The Dominion FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1920. RESHAPING THE NEAR EAST

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 149, 19 March 1920, Page 6

The Dominion FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1920. RESHAPING THE NEAR EAST

The Allied occupation of Constantinoplo once again directs attention to .one of the most difficult and complex questions outstanding in tlio aftermath of the war. In the terms imposed on Germany and Austria-Hungary, the Allies had to reshape the map of- Europe, and until the affairs of Our principal adversaries were disposed of it was idle to draft conditions for Turkey. The result in that nearly a year and a half has elapsed since the signing of the armistice, and the Allies have not yet arrived at final settlement with Turkey. The greatest divergence, of opinion centres on the problem of Constantinople. Mr. Lloyd George at first showed an inclination to adopt the "bag and baggage" policy of Gladstone, but last month announced that he had come to the conclusion that on the whole the better course was to retain the Sultan in his present capital. France, on the other hand, has adhered steadily to the belief that a nominal sovereignty by the Sultan over Constantinople _ would be the best means for advancing the political influence as well as the economic and financial interests of France herself. British opinion, as reflected in Parliament_ and the Press,_ has shown itself divided. On principle there is general agree,-' ment that the Turk should have no place in Europe. He came in as a barbaric conqueror, and throughout the centuries has consistently misruled and impoverished the territories under his sway. The expedi-

ency of ejecting him at the present; juncture is questioned by a wide body of opinion, and on this side we find Mitf Montagu, Secretary of State for India. The arguments against ejection are on the. ground that it would have a seriously prejudicial effect on Moslem opinion in India and Egypt, in both of which countries much unrest at present exists. The Sultan is the Caliph of the majority of the Moslems, and it is claimed to be an inherent principle of the Mohammedan religion that the Caliph should exercise temporal as well as spiritual power, and that to eject him from Constantinople or to reduce his temporal power over it to a shadow would be an affront that would strain the loyalty of all true Moslems to the breaking point. This argument is challenged on the ground that the Caliphate of the Sultan is not recog-' nised by Moslems, a3 there are sections who regard the Sultan of Morocco as Caliph, others who support the claim of the. King of Hedjaz. and millions of Shias in Persia and India- believe that thi Caliphate belongs to the_ Twelfth Imam, who disappeared miraculously from the earth and now'reigns invisible. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the Allies could hardly _ place a Greater affront on the Caliph than they did by declaring war on him. Germany and Austria-Hungary were not permitted to escape paying the penalty because they were Christian States, and arc we to be more tender to Turkey because she is a Moslem State? Moreover, Mohammedans from many parts of the Empire fought readily on the Allied side, as they did also in the armies of France and Russia. Prophecies of disaster have generally followed upon any effort to free any of the small States under Turkish rule, but have not materialised. The evacuation of Gallipoli is held by many competent observers of affairs in the East to have i damaged the legend of British invincibility, and thus to have been responsible for much of the in Egypt and India • Similarly, it is contended that elovonth-hour concessions on Constantinople in the face of Moslem agitation would do more harm than good. With these very divergent views at home, Mr. Lloyd George has A had also to reconcile the policy of our Allies. After all, the basic requirement of a Turkish settlement from our point of view is that the Dardanelles and the Bosporus shall be as definitely free and internationalised as the Straits of Gibraltar or the Suez Canal. This, we arc told, the Treaty will establish securely. Although the Sultan is likely to remain, it will be under the shadow of Allied guns, and stripped of all his powers for 'mischief in Europe. The compromise is not ideal, but in view of the firm adhcronce of the French to their point of view, and our own division of opinion, could we reasonably insist on any other solution? This morning it is stated that President Wilson is jsreparing a. Note in which ho will declare that the Turk must go. More weight \vould_ attach to the President's view if it had the endorsement of the Senate, deprived of which it leaves America's attitude very much in tli2 air.