Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29
PEACE CONFERENCE AT LONDON.

applied, though in a minor degree. TO al
the nations of Europe who were more or
less interested economically and polt-
ically in Turkey.
Unfortunately these economical inter-
ests of the powers OF Europe in the Otto
man empire are perhaps the real reasons
why Europe insists upon maintaining the
Turk in Europe. II was kiamil Pasha.
grand vizier. i'm the agony OF Turkish
defeat at Lule- Burgas. who animated as
much,
If France would one day propose mcdi-
alton with some chance of success ii was
prudent to give the allies at the same
time the certainty that no great European
power would seek To attribute To itself.
in whole or in part. the fruit oil their
success.
srcn was the simple Specification of the
clause which France i'm close comnurica-
ton with Russia and England proposed
October :1. accompanied lay an offer
of mediation. Wnen Russia spontaneous
ly subscribed 10 dis niercstedness' she old
not intend TO say .tideatit hat she lad
neither poliiic.i nor II. a - interest in
the orient. bat only that she = ihrD'al
that she had no thought of te rte'1d
aggrandlZcf.tn;- - -. Il lows
without exception. in fact. have alb "
attested that they did not foil" ~
design of territorial extension. Fs2
never had any idea of disintere ii =
in the i;allSanic question Itself
France possessed in the region octr-
pied by the allied armies interests -
varied nature and coasi.-
Interests of cradle France in the a.
place was the - inc.Pai
1i""0e' creditor of Turkey. ald
the Ottoman debt for it's greater part IS
in the hands of the French. IL Is a
principle of common law today recognized
all over the world that i'm case of the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of a state the anneNing
state cannot take possession of the an
neXed territory except that ii assume
the charges against it and euuitabiy pay
large part of the public debt contracted
by the dsmembered state. The difficulty
was to determine the contributive share
of the Balkanic states.
But the debt was not the only object
which solicited public attention in
France. France was deeply interested in
the reggie" or control of tobacco. France
has much capital engaged in a great num-
Der of concessions of public service
Among these the Administration of the
Lighthouses of the Ottoman Empire. the
Society of Ports and Wharves Of Saloniki.
the society that exploits the mines OF
Cassandra and Selenitza are French en-
examples of kindred affairs
Other societies without being already
recognized "concessionnaires" have
signed contracts of the necessary studies
which contain in reality the privilege OF
execution. thus the contract for railways
in Albania. E,pirus and Macedonia. 9th
erS still hold concessions subject to the
appreciation of parlaments: thus, for ex
ample. the construction of the ports OF
Cavalla and Rodosto or the drying up
rpcla iminR-Of the flats the mouth nr
the Martha.
Nor is this all. There are enterprises
having their central headquarters i'm tn.
Ottoman capital but which I'm the future
as I'm the past. will exercise their opera
ton over the territory within the Balkan
states; for example. the Ottoman Bank
and the Bank of Saloniki.
Besides. France possesses i'm the Otto
man empire of yesterday. i'm addition to
economical. industrial
A Moral and financial interests.
po+r;uorv certain moral and
fatrlmony. traditional patrimony
which NJ Poincare had the courage to
claim This moral and traditional patri-
mony was nothing less than the de
fender of the Christian In country
heretofore subject TO the rule of the
Moslem.
France has created and maintained at
great cost in Macedonia and Thrace ly-
ceums and commercial schools, orphan
asylums. dispensaries, hospitals. etc.. ~,
schools in which are admitted CzteSiic.
Orthodox. Mussulman and !ssse;fte chill
dren.
France has also secular rights which
were reserved to her by the treaty OF
Berlin and which permit her to exercise
i'm Turkey the Catholic protectorate The
government Of the republic does not wish
to sacrifice any of these mediums OF
friendly influence. The attention of the
Balkan states has been already invited
to the exceptional situation occupied by
France In the recently occupied coun-
tries, and there is no doubt but that this
situation will be promptly recognized and
respected. IL will be necessary, however.
to take up the questions separately with
the victors and enter into negotiations in
order to maintain them.
NJ Poincare called the attention of the
comm 'sSion to a Franco Bulgarian con-
ventOn. signed the 18th of April, 19i
which specified that the existing estsl-
lshments i'm Bulgaria should be ma IN
tanned. 1t will now he necessary 10
make out these conventions anew and
cause them to conform to the new terri
torial situation. Similar changes would
have to be made with the agreements
with Greece. Servia and Montenegro.
These states. as we'll as Bulgaria, were
ever ready to recognize that the econom-
ical. intellectual and moral action of
France i'm the Balkans had serS ell the
cause OF peace and progress.
Of the future the premier declared II
difficult to forecast. IL new questions had
provoked some dsscn-
Hard to sions in the confedera-
pronhesy non itself its friends
1iopncSy' hoped they would bc
dispellcd. Union until now had
proved its powerful force. The Balkanic
states should not allow themselves to be
beaten by regrettable divisions when they
had conquered an admirable place Of
honor in Europe.
France has observed toward Europe in
the Bakanic war, as in the Italian
war, d scrupulous neutrality. Ii was not
her custom to turn from the unfortu-
nate. France hoped that the Ottoman
empire would recover tomorrow her
in a preparatory peace, and that
France would maintain with Turkey in
Europe and Asia Minor her traditional
relations France hoped notably
hat Turkey would put in execution the
reforms demanded since several months
in favor of the Lybian populations.
NJ. Poincare, IL will be borne i'm mind.
IS pleading in his own house. His lar
guage. besides, is that of the diplomat.