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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 187, 6 February 1914, Page 4

COERCING TUKKEY. ' Corruption ia hard to kill, and it is not surprising- to find that the corrupt Turkish Empire ia taking an unconscionably long lime to give up the ghost. At present the Sublime Porte is making a ''"""■ rate effort to save some of the in Islands. There are signs of preparation for a war with Greece over thj possession of the Island. So ominous has the situation become that Russian opinion is said to be in favor of the Great Powers making a naval demonstration on the Turkish coast, with o. view to enforcing Sir Edward Grey's proposals for.the settlement of questi""" -» latitig to the Aegean Sea. It r recalled that eleven of the islands in that sea wore soized by Italy during the war in Tripoli and that the other eleven islands were seized by Greece last year. Turkey wished to have all the islands restored to her. The Italian Government has given formal assurances that it will restore the Aegean Islands it now holds to Turkey as soon as the conditions of the Peace of Lausanne are fulfilled and no Turkish troops remain in Tripoli. The disposition of the islands occupied by Greece, is the last remaining problem of the late Balkan war. Greece originally kid claim to all the Aegean Islands, including those in Italian occupation. She also demanded the coast-line »f Southern Albania opposite the island <jf Corfu, a claim which the Conference of Ambassadors rejected at the urging of Italy, apprehensive of a Greek naval menace in the Adriatic. The British Note, lo vyhich the other Powers have agreed, proposes that «rcer« should ho allowed to retain nine of the eleven islands occupied by her, including the important islands of Mytilenc and Samethrace, but (hat the islands of Imbros and Tened;w ihould be handed back to Turkey. Th • I'lirks wish to have also Mytilene and Saincllmiee. contending that they, will Imbros and Tcnedn--. are necessary t.,.

however, bo placed under guarantees not to fortify tlie two largo islands. Another important provision is that Tuikey shall give guarantees for the. futur-s self-government of the eleven islands now held by Italy. Sir Edward Grey's proposals, it will be seen, constitute a very fair compromise. Turkey ought to be the first to recognise this, for whereas she lost '22 islands in war, she is lo liavc thirteen of them returned to net by peaceful treaty. A naval demonstration such as is suggested would of corns'! bring Turkey to her senses; but it is '.■> be hoped that coercion will not he nscessary. Russia would of course b<-. glad of an opportunity to get her warships into the Mediterranean; but whatover may happen, she will not be invited to send them.