Evening star., 1916-10-01

a..
$50; population, 100000.
Destiny in Russia's Hands.
OF this area, actually just about equal
to that of Spain, something less than a
third may be included in a semi-inde-
pendent Armenian state under Russian
protection and including all or portions
of the vilayets of Karput, sivas. Adana
and Erzerum, with certain other fringes
or territory. But even if Armenia obs
tains this measure of unity, its political
desfinies will manifestly remain in Rus
sian hands. How many Armenians will
survive the terrible Turkish massacres
still continuing remains another and
disquieting problem.
Such is the Russian claim to Turkish
estates. Roughly summarized, it in
cludes Constantinople, Adrianople, both
shores of the Dardanelles and the Bos-
porus: with the northern shore of the
Sea of Marmora and its isuand. together
with all of Armenia, Kurdistan and pos
session of both shores of the deep Gulf
of Alexandret9a, the point where the
Bagdad railroad approaches the Med
iterranean.. Unquestionably this bay
will in due time become the terminus
of a great Russian railroad striking in
land across the headwaters of the Eu-
pirates to the slopes of the Caucasus
and thence by tunnel under this chain
to European Russia.
Claims of Allies Modest.
BY contrast with the Russian claims.
those of France. Italy and Britain are
modest in the extreme. France is to
have all of Syria, from the Gulf of
Alexandretta to Palestine, a region
having an area of little more than half
Of that of France; that is. 10000
square miles and a population of nearly
3.500,000. Beyrut, Aleppo, Damascus,
French. In this region the French now
have great interests; they own the
chief railroads, the docks at Beyrut and
they have long had political rights in
the Lebanon. The people Of the French
sphere are not Turks, but Arabs: they
have long sought to escape from Turk
ish rule, and French colonial expert
ences in Arab North Africa will aid
France in her great task here.
Roughly speaking, this new French
colony will extend from the Nediter-
ranean to the Arabian desert and the
west bank of the Euphrates. 1t will
touch the Holy Land on the south and
the Russian sphere on the north, not
BILE that, if an international or Zionistic
state in the Holy Land proves impossi-
BILE, Jerusalem will also fall to the
French. But this remains matter for
Mesopotamias for England.
AS for Great Britain. she is to have
Mesopotamia. with the two vilayets of
Basra and Bagdad, having an area of
above 100000 square miles and popu-
lation of more than 100000. Here
again the people are Arabs, not Turks
In addition, the Turkish possessions
along the Red sea will come under
British control, although it is generally
religious dificulties, wifi abstain from
all effort to take Mecca and will con-
tent themselves with recognising some
local sheriff. Egypt the British have
already annexed.
The Italian share remains somewhat
obscure 1t is certain that the Italians
are to have the whole south shore of
Asia Minor from their present seat in
Rhodes to the Russian n, sphere in the
Gulf of Alexandretta. They are also to
extend inland far enough to the north,
taking all of the vilayet of Konia, with
an area of 10000 square miles and a
population Of slightly more than mill
lion. But it is also asserted on good
authority that Italy is to have the
vilayet Of Smyrna, with an area of
$4,000 square miles and population
of 100000.
This province was offered to the
Greeks a year ago. when the allies
sought to enlist the Hellenic kingdom
in the fight to save Serbia Venizelos
eagerly accepted the offer. which would
have reunited more than $500. 900
Greeks to Athens and restored the
ancient Hellenic hold upon the main |
land of Asia Minor. But King Con-
stantine rejected the bargain, refusing |
Cyprus also, with its $4,000 Greeks.
Greece's Chance Lost. \
Unless ali signs fail. Greece will not |
have a second chance to acquire Smyr- |
ma, and the best evidence available |
points either to the ultimate establish |
ment Of Italian rule here, as well as in |
Konia. or else the continuance of Turk
ish rule on the west coast of the,
ored. then Italy will have. . colony con.