The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-01-18
ENGLAND WRITES
SUPPLEMENTARY
I NOTE TO WILSON
Map Change Alone Will Not
Insure Peace, Balfour
Tells America,
NO COUNTRY CAN BE
SAFE WITH GERMANY
Present Turkish Rule De-
nounced as Being AS Bad
AS Abdul Hamid's.

nOunced as Being AS Bad
AS Abdul Hamid's.
Washington, Jan. 1S.-Sir Cecil
Spring Rice, the British Ambassador.
delivered to the State Department
yesterday a communication he has
received from Arthur J. Balfour, Brit
/ ish Foreign Minister, simplifying the
position of the Eentnte Powers as set
| forth in their reply to President, Will
| sons peace terms note.
It tells why the Entente demands
| the expulsion of Turkey from Europe
as well as the other territorial changes
sought. AS long as Germany remains
what it is, says Mr.. Balfour, 9no coun-
| try can regard it's rights as secure.
The note dated Jan. 10, says:
Basis for Peace.
In sending you a translation of the
Allied note I desire to make the fol-
lowing observations which you should
bring to the notice Of the United
States government:
1 gather from the general tenor of
the Presidents note that while he is
animated by an intense desire thai
peace should come soon, and that
when it comes it should be lasting, he
does not for the moment at least con-
Germ himself with the terms on which
it should be arranged.
His Majesty's Government entirely
shares the Presidents ideas, but they
feel strongly that the durability of
peace must largely depend on it's
character and that mo stable system
Of international relations can be built
on foundations which are essentially
and hopelessly defective.
This becomes clearly apparent if we
consider the main conditions which
rendered possible the calamities from
which the world is now suffering.
These were the existence of \ great
powers consumed with the lust of
domination in the midst of a commu-
nifty Of nations i'll prepared for de-
fence, plentifully supplied indeed with
international laws, but with no ma
chinery for enforcing them and weak
ened by the fact that neither the boun-,,
daries of the various States nor their
internal constitution harmonized with
the aspirations Of their constituent
races or secured to them just and
equal treatment.
The Change of Map.
That this last evil would be greatly
mitigated if the Allies secured the
changes inlthe map of Europe outlined
in their joint note is manifest, and 1
need not labor the point ~
It has been argued indeed that the
expulsion of the Turks from Europe
forms no proper or logical part Of
this general scheme. The mainte-
nance of 1.-The Turkish Empire was
during many generations regarded by
statesmen Of worldwide authority as
essential to the maintenance of Eu-
rope and peace. Why, it is asked,
should the cause Of peace be now
associated with a complete reversal Of
this traditional policy?
The answer is that circumstances
have completely changed. 1t is I'M
necessary to consider now whether
the creation Aof reformed Turkey
mediating between hostile races in
the Near East was a scheme which,
had the Sultan been sincere and the
powers! united, could ever have been
realized; It certainly cannot be rea-
lized now
The Turkey Of Union and. Prog
ress'' is at least as barbarous and is
far more aggressive thap the Turkey
Of Sultan Abdul Hamid In the hands
of Germany it has ceased even in ap-
pearance to be the bulwark of peace
and is openly used as an instrument
of conquest.
Under German officers Turkish SOL
dierS are now fighting in lands from
which they had long been, expelled.
and Turkish government controlled,
and supported by Germany
has been guilty Of massacres in Ar
menia and Syria more horrible than
any recorded in the history even of
those unhappy countries
Evidently the interests of peace and
the claims of nationality alike re-
quire that Turkish rule over alien
races shall, if possible, be brought to
an end, and we may hope that the
expansion of Turkey from Europe will
contribute as much to the cause of
peace as, the restoration of Alsace-
Lorraine to- France, of Italia Irredents
to Italy, or any Of the other terri
torial changes indicated in the Allied
note.
Evidently, however such territorial
rearrafgements, though they may di-
minish the occasions of war, provide
no sufficient security against it's re-
currence If Germany, or rather those
in Germany who mould it's opinions
and control it's destinies, again SET
out to domineer the world, they NAV
find that by the new order of things
the adventure is made more difficult.
but hardly that is made impossible.
More Safeguards Needed.
They may still have ready to their
hand a political system organized
through sand through on a military
basis; they may still accumulate vast
stores of military equipment: thew
may still persist in their methods Of 1
attack, SO that their more pacific
will be struck down before
they can prepare themselves for de-
tense.
If SO, Europe, when the war is over.
will be far poorer in men, in money
and in mutual goodwill than it was
when the war began, but it will not
be safer, and the hopes for the future
Of the world entertained by the Presi-
dent will he as far as ever from full
filment.
There are those who think that for |
this disease international treaties and
laws may provide a suf- |
fcient cure But such persons have
i'll learned the lessons so clearly taught |