TURKEY'S DESTINY

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1920, Page 5

TURKEY'S DESTINY

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. TO KETAIN CONSTANTINOPLE. «, . By Telegraph.—Press Aisn— Copyright. Received Feb. 27, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 25. In the House of Commons, the greatest interest was aroused i>y the debate on the future of Turkey, which arose in the afternoon on a motion for the adjournment. The Coalition attached sufficient importance to the occasion to send out a three line whip. Sir Donald MaeLean (Leader of the ParKarnentary Liberal Party) opened the debate, stressing the deep obligation the Empire owed to India, but declaring that Britain was under no obligation of any kind to the Turks, who entered the war without provocation from Britain. He described Constantinople as a cesspool of intrigue, a breeder of war, and the source of massarces and horrors. If the Turks were left there, Constantinople would once again be the seat of a world disturbance. Air. Lloyd George declared the Peace Conference carefully weighed the advantages and dis-advantages, and considered all the difficulties, obstacles and perils. After discussing all these, the Conference •arrived at the conclusion that on the whole the better course was to retain the Turk at Constantinople, "for the achieving of the common end."

NEW CONTROL OF BOSPHORUS. Referring to a couple of his pledges in reference to Turkey, with which his opponents made great play. Mr. Lloyd George declared the first pledge, namely, "there would be a different porter,at the gates of the Bosphoru.s," would be fulfilled to the letter. (Cheers). The second pledge was given in a speech in January, 1918, after full consultation and with the consent of all parties. Ma stated the Allies were not • fighting to challenge the maintenance of the Turkish Empire with its capital at Constantinople, subject to the passage of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea being internationalised and neutralised; also that Arabia, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine should be entitled to recognition as separate nationalities. The declaration was specified, unqualified, and most deliberate, and the immediate effect was that recruiting went up appreciably. Nearly half a million enlisted in India. Britain could not have conquered Turkey without that, and nothing would damage British power in Asia more than the feeling that they eould not trust the British word. (Cheers.)

FIT PUNISHMENT PROVIDED. Proceeding, Mr. Lloyd George declared that when the peace terms were published there will be no friend of the Turk, if any, left who will not realise that he was terribly punished for his follies and crimes. He will be stripped of more than half his Empire, his capital will be under Allied guns, and he will be deprived of his army and navy, the prestige which its guardianship gave being important, as it affected protection of the minorities. Turkey will be deprived entirely of that guardianship, the forts will be dismantled, and Turkey will have no troops anywhere within reach of his gates. The Allies had advised the garrisoning of the Dardanelles, and, if necessary, the Eosphorus, which could be carried out with a comparatively small force. An alternative to his proposal was an International Government at Constantinople and the surrounding country, which would be a most unsatisfactory Government, which anyone could choose. One of the difficulties had been the falling out of Russia and America. He had hoped America might ta e the guardianship of Armenia, even of Constantinople, but America for the moment eould be reckoned out of any arrangement. THE MENACE TO ARMENIA. Discussing the effect of internationalisation on the protection of tne minorities, the Premier said Sir Donald MacLean proposed to remove the Turk from a place where he could not easily direct massacres to a spot where he could .organise them without interference. It would be to the greater safety of every Armenian if he. knew he had the protection of the British fleet. If the Sultan lived at Kovieh he would be surrounded by a 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 to the councils of the world. They had also taken every precaution to see that minorities who suffered so bitterly in the i past have every protection, not of an interchange of Notes, but that which is derivable from a knowledge that those who have been persecuting them will be signing their decree under the menace of British, French, and Italian guns. (Cheers.) LABOR PARTY'S VIEWS.

Received Feb. 27, 12.30 p.m. London, Feb. 25. The Labor Party, in a statement replying to the Indian Moslems, points out that the Caliphate of the Oamanli Turks is not acknowledged by the rest of the Mohammedan world, and as the question is a religious one, it should be settled by the Moslems. The reply distinguishes between the various races formerly under Turkish rule, and urges that the principle of selfdetermination should be applied where possible. The internationalisation of the Dardanelles' and Bosphorus is favored, and the po x alation of the Syrian districts, Palestine and Mesopotamia, should be consulted whether they desire the restoration of Ottoman sovereignty, unconditional independence, or a mandate under the League of Nations. BATOUM NOT TO BE ABANDONED. Constantinople, Feb. 24. The decision to withdraw British troops frcm Batoum has been cancelled.