Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-29
VITAL PROBLEMS CONFRONT
THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS
Settlement of the Fate of Poland, Austria
Hungary, Constantinople and Asia Minor
Will Make Their Task Difficult

tiNc III WnlCIl tIlt INuSSlhnS anu
Germans are engaged is preliminary
to n general peace conference In the
near future?" Dick owen wanted to
know.
THE Germans are making PROPOSE.
tions which they evidently hope the
Entente Allies will consider" said
DR.. McFabre.
ut looks to me-" said I, "as IL the
Germans were anxious TO make peace
before tho United States gets It's ar.
mics in the field and before they are
defeated SO completely that they will
be unable to make any demands
which their enemies will respect. It
must be evident to them that when
our vast resources are hurled against
them they must crumble beneath the
blow. They are now striving to save
what they can out of the wreck of
their plans while there is time"
II hope that the Entente Allies will
insist on Strengthening out the inter-
national tangles which have compli-
Gated affairs for generations" re.
marked Doctor McFabre. THE polit-
ical world is in solution Just now.
New relations can be established with
greater ease than ever before and the
opportunity should not 10 neglected"
THAT is an apt phrase of yours,
DOCTOR" said I. Solution is the right
word. Poland, Austria-Hungary, Asia
Minor and the Balkan States have
been put in tho melting pot. They
can be poured into new molds by the
peace conference and the foundations
can be laid for more harmonious re-
lations than have existed for centuries.
Neither you nor I will be asked by
the Government TO sit in the peace
conferences and give our advice re.
gardng the final settlements. But
our interest in the subject Is great
enough to make us wish to know the
elements of the problems to be con-
sidered J. Ellis Barker, an English
publiciSt, has done a great service for
such as we by gathering into a single
volume the history of some of the
great problems that must be consid-
cred. He calls his book The Great
Problems of British Statemanship.'
He ought to have made his title
broader, for he discusses the great
problems of European craftsmanship
and gives the history of them. Ills
book ought to be read by every mem
Der of Congress and by every Ameri-
can who wishes TO know on what
basis n permanent peace can be built.
The peace conference must consider
the fate of Constantinople. the dis.
position Of Poland. the construction
of Austria.Hungary and the control
and Mesopotamia."
TT ought not to be difficult TO
dispose of these matters" said DR..
McFabre.
1T ought not to be-" said I, but
it will be. Take the case Of Constan.
tinople. The Entente Allies agreed
that Russia might have that city. but
after the revolution the Russians is.
sued a self-denying proclamation in
which they disclaimed any terrific
rial ambitions. Yet it is important
for the commercial interests of Rus
sia that she control the outlet of the
Black Sea or that the outlet be neu-
tralized in such a way that Russia's
right to use It in war and peace may
not be denied. Russia would have
got possession of Constantinople years
ago IL she had not been blocked by
the British. Jealous Of Russian am
bitions in India. But, according to
Mr.. Barker. Russla's ambitions do not
lie in the direction of India. He
quotes documents to prove that the
whole alleged Indian policy of Russia
originated in the mind of Napoleon.
who was playing Russia against Eng.
land. and that the Russians never sc.
riously threatened tho British possess
sions in Asia. He also reminds us
that the possession Of Constantinople
by Russia would weaken that power
from a military point Of view, while
it would strengthen her commercially.
It's defense would be difficult, for 1t
Is separated from the rest OF Russia
and could be connected by land only
by annexation Of part of Rumania and
Bulgaria. shutting these powers from
the Black Sea. or by the annexation
of the Turkish coast of the Black
Sea from the Caucasus to the Darda-
nelles. The Powers will have to con.
slider all these questions when they
decide on the fate of Constantinople.
"The disposal of ASIA Minor is
likely to produce still greater compli.
cations. Asiatic Turkey joins Europe,
Asia and Africa. 1t was once the seat
of the worlds civilization. It is capa.
BILE Of maintaining a population more
than three times as great as that of
Germany. 1t lies across the land
routes from Europe to Asia If po-
litically connected with a central Eu-
ropean Power-Germany has had her
eve on Asia Minor for years-it would
place that power in position to domi.
nate the Old World. 1t was from this
strategic position that the Mohamme-
dams started their campaign of con-
quest and spread acrbss northern