YOUNG TURKS STILL IN POWER.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 June 1919, Page 2

YOUNG TURKS STILL IN POWER.

(‘x‘Eß'.\.'[A.l\' 'IN'I.‘RIGI.’I". .=\.'l.‘ WORK. The following -.::‘liul.~ \-c;=.¢ \\'rit'.'ell for tho Londozl Daily l:.‘.spl‘e.s'.-:. by 21 1111111 who 1151:; lived in Coiistrgmtinoplc tliwugliotilt the \\;l.', and 11:15 been in closest touch \\'ilTi the political intrigues there:—— Beforc uml for some time aftel' the ()‘.:t7:)1:.~.?‘: .;.i’ \\u:u.1' the izmnensc importance of the i\'c-.:1- Llus:e:-n qm.st.ioll to i'l‘.C IBri‘i'isli Enipii-e in p:lrt‘ielllm*, and to the world peace in g;‘ell-3:111, was only v:v.gLlel_';' understoc-cl by the B‘;-itish n:".iion. liven at the present moment there seems to be a tendency .to allow I’hi.~: vitally important matter to be obscured, like other eqiially importzml 1::;‘.t'1-sis. by cloudy Svllt-I\lC>l of 21 "League of I\'ution.e." ' When the fzuuous B:lgda.d railway i.-s C1)l!IplC-l’C. as if will be in the non: I’uiure, and wilev. cerl'aill m’.l<vl' r=_l'llw::_v ez:l'el'pl‘i:~aes in 1113 ;\'l(‘al‘ iliast are z‘.c:l~.i«;\'exil, the appi'c'zlches 10 Ceiitraxl -‘..<izl and the Indian frontier will ll!‘ <:(‘mt1'ol1e(l to a greai‘ extent by Constantiliople. We have seen in this war how the possession of that city by a hostile l’owL-r was uv grave menaeo to the ve:'_\' existence of the British "Empire, and this in spite of an impel'fec‘rl_\j developeil railway, lack of ‘l'o{ldS, and the niost 119.2./.:mlous of communications‘. generally. Wliat would llilV'L‘ 11:*.p1.-L~ned lmd there. been plenty of good roads, an extensive I'ailw:iy system. and an eflicient air service? It is commonly snpposetl 2113.‘: tl:-e Turks are coinplx-tely cl'll:'l‘.-:‘~<l, and that‘ C‘rel'm.'ln infliience in flue ()t£o‘.n:-\.:=. l‘llnpil‘L‘. has been elim"illate(l. ;:\s a m:l’rtei' oi’ Fnef. ‘rho 'l‘urk <lon‘s not by an)’ means look on the gmne as lost, and German influence is far from having boon eliminated.

SECRET SOCll3l'l‘Y. In order to un(ler:'<tall'd the situation, i we must bear in mind that the Conl~| mittee of Union and 1-‘ro§‘ress. although no longer in the limelight, is still the only or-gaiiised political power in Turkey. The ‘.‘l‘.l‘.lifiC:li'l,OllS of this secret society extend into the tiniest villages oi’ .~\natoli:l, into eve'.'_*.', hrancli of the Go\'erument service. and into every household of importance. even to i the palace of the .‘-lultan. who is the. areh—enemy of the Cotninittee. \Yhen it became obvious that '.l.‘urke}' was t'aced with sul'l'ender or :I]llliilii3l'iOll_.| the Sultan was obliged to accept the .‘p"eamouflu_gte” Cabinet under Izzet I Pasha, whose task was to prevent the I Entento from ~over-running .-\natolia as i conquerors. and to allow the chief eul- i _pl‘ll's of tlie Connnittee to n‘.::l-ze good‘ t.-heir escape. Having‘ aeconiplished both objects, the Committee allowed the I Sultan to summon the Anglophile Tc- ! wfik Pasha, formerly Ottoman Ambassador in London, to form a Cabinetul Tewfik I-’aslla’s Government, however, was utterly impotent, for the simplei reason that it had no means of ent'orc— ~ ing obedience. The real leaders of the. ‘ Committee are still at large, and we have good reasonto believe Ta-laat I’aslla himself is quietly directing operations in Constantinople itself. The Committec’s funds, which amount to many millions sterling_. are still at the disposition of men who sold 'l‘url<cy, body alld soul, to the Germans. Innu‘merable German agents are living freely in Constantinople. because they have succeeded in obtaining Italian or Serbian protection. Thousands more are hidden in the city and scattered throughout Anatolia‘, while large numbers have actually been permitted to remain at work on the Anatolian railway. I IN TOUCH WITII BERLIN. Berlin still holds .the reins. and nothing would suit the German better 7 than some scheme of internationalising iConstantinople. While the various- } members of the League of Nations are isquabbling about each other’s status. the German will be quietly manipulating an organisation that may evc-11 yet realise the Mahommetan peril--the nightmare of British. diplomacy for generations. I Obviously, Constantinople must be in ithe hands of a Power strong enough to maintain order, to defend it against :-‘...‘.C.e2; :“.g‘g...<.-.i:,:i. :md. with the exiperience necessary for dealing with [Oriental intrigue. Great Bri.ta.in is the only Power which fulfills these requirements. Our interests at stake are incaloulable, our integrity is unassailable, and at B'riti::h proteetor-ate would not only be entlnisiastically welcomed by every section of the Christian population, but. also by :1. considerable numlber of the Turks themselves.