The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1922 NEAR EASTERN SETTLEMENT
The almost feverish energy that is being displayed by France to bring about a peaceful settlement between Britain and the' Angora Government, seems to indicate that at last the French authorities are realising that hostilities between Turkey and Britain would probably be a dangerous menace to French security. As stated in a recent cable message: “France is afraid that, if wai' breaks out, Britain will withdraw her troops from Cologne, on the ground that she cannot aid France to enforce peace on Germany, as France is withdrawing troops from Chanak, and refuses aid in enforcing peace on Turkey.” Certainly the present state of affairs justifies that view, and it is quite likely that the strehuous efforts that M. Bouillon (the French representative who is acting as the medium of communications between the French Government and Kemal) is putting forth with the object of arriving at a peaceful settlement, are largely due to the extraordinary nature of the attitude adopted by France, and the possibility of its re-act-ing in a manner that will be inimical to French interests. Apparently the prospects of a preliminary conference are more favorable than they were a few days ago, and it is well this should be the ease, as the tension was liable to snap at any moment. In the second week of August last a memorial was presented to the British Premier by the Near and Middle East Association, bearing the signatures of a large number of highly influential public men, representing both Houses of Parliament, trade, finance, commercial magnates, ex-army and navy officers, and others, who stated their desire was to see not merely a temporary peace, but the establishment of a general peace in the countries concerned, and an honest fulfilment of the territorial promises made by the Prime Minister in January, 1918, and repeated in 1920. They expressed a belief that Asia Minor (including the city of Smyrna) should be acknowledged as Turkish territory under the full sovereignty of the Sultan, minorities to be protected by the institution of local gendarmerie, with the collaboration of foreign officers (preferably neutrals in the Great War), whose impartiality would guarantee the security of Christian or Moslem minorities, while they preferred that the whole question of such racial minorities should be treated as one, and handed over to the League of Nations (including Turkey). They also expressed the belief that Turkey was entitled to racial and geographical conditions, by prescriptive right, and by the definite promises of Mr. Lloyd George, to Eastern Thrace, including Adrianople, Western Thrace being constit)*ted a separate autonomous I
province under the protection of the League of Nations, and that the promise of access to the Aegean Sea accorded to Bulgaria by the Peace of Neuilly should be fulfilled. In this way the frontiers of Greece and Turkey would not be co-terminous, a valuable provision against the peril of future conflicts. With reference to the Dardanelles, it was contended that if the peninsula ceased to be Ottoman territory it should be placed under the League of Nations, with complete and satisfactory guarantees against a hostile attack on Constantinople. It would seem that the views expressed in the memorial to a large extent coincide with the policy of the British Government, except. probably, as to the freedom of the Dardanelles. To place the Straits under the guardianship of the League of Nations may appear to be satisfactory, but the League has no. means of enforcing neutrality. It is a (lower possessing no backing of force, and as it is necessary to prepare for the contingency of a revitalised Russia, a Poland grown strong, and a Jugoslavia of increasing ambitions, it is also necessary to provide for the employment of armed force to keep the Dardanelles clear from attack. That, however, is a matter of no immediate concern. The requirement of the moment is a satisfactory armistice agreement, and then should ®ome a conference at which the whole Near East question must be reviewed with the object of obtaining a settlement on a permanent basis of peace—a task bristling with difficulties, but one that must be faced.
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Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1922, Page 4
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694The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1922 NEAR EASTERN SETTLEMENT Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1922, Page 4
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