New-York tribune., 1918-10-11
Turkey Next!
BY Frank II. Simonds
lCnnrrisht. 1pla. New York Tribuno Lac. ::

HHE change in the Turkish Minis
try is clear evidence that
Turkey is promptly to follow
Bulgaria in desertng the German cause.
The actual desertion may be postponed
for the moment, pending the disclosure
Of the results achieved by the German
peace proposal but even this delay is
probematical. With Enver and Talaat
gone, the whole German editice erected
inside of Constantinople has collapsed,
and the sole concern of the new ministry
must be to save whatever may be saved
from the wreck.
Looking for the moment to the imme-
date consequences of Turkish desertion,
it is clear that once the Turkish army
lowing the Bulgarian example, as it
must, the way will be open for the
transportation of a considerable portion
of the Allied forces in Mesopotamia and
in Syria to Europe over the famous Bag
dad railway, which was constructed for
a far different purpose.
With the Dardaneles and the Bos-
porus open to the Allied fleets, the
conquest of the Black Sea will inevitably
follow rapidly, and this conquest will
clear the way for the transportation Of
troops by water to Rumania. We may
then look for a speedy drive made by the
Allied armies to rescue Rumania from
the German yoke, and, Rumania rescued,
not less than half million Rumanian
troops will be added to the Allied armies
troops which can be supplied from the
arms captured from Turkish and Bull
garian forces.
The remittance Of Ruma1lia will mean
that Austria Hungary will be threatened
with new invasion, this time from the
south, and invasion by force little less
than million strong. Against such
host Austria, with the Italian menace
ever present and without the smallest
hope Of assistance from Germany, will
have no choice but to follow Bulgaria
and Turkey and surrender, leaving
Germany to face the world in arms alone
a month ago Mitteleuropa began at
the Euphrates and the Jordan; to-
morrow we may see it pushed back
beyond the Danube and the Carpathians.
Mitteleuropa is, after all, turning out
to be only house Of cards. The COL
lapse of Bulgaria has insured the down.
fall of Turkey, and the imminent deser
ton Of Turkey makes inevitable the sur
render of Austria Hungary. Events in
the East are still moving much more
rapidly than in the West
Nor are the military consequences less
considerable. A few weeks ago we had
not less than 100000 enemy troops under
arms in the Orient To-day the Bulgarian
surrender has removed 100000, Allen
by's Palestine victory has disposed of
100000 more, and the balance are GER
tain to be out Of the way, either by
battlefield surrender or national submis-
sion, within few weeks. And this
change will release 100000 Allied troops
for use against Austria and insure the
addition of 100000 Rumanian troops
when the elimination of Turkey clears
the road to Constanza and the Austro-
German retreat passes the Danube at
Belgrade.
Nor does our gain end there; with the
Black Sea cleared, Odessa will become
a sure and sufficient base for communi-
cations with Russia. What was impos-
slble while we were dependent upon
Archangel or Vladivostok will not only
be possible but simple when we are able
to restore communications with the south
OF Russia. Then at last real begin
nlng can be made in rescuing Russia
from the German yoke, which is the last
and heaviest job before us.
AS for the Turk, he is entitled to little
sympathy, and the Young Turkish re-
glme, which has brought all this ruin to
the Osnfanli, deserves neither sympathy
nor mercy. Hardly a decade has passed
since the Young Turkish movement pre-
clpltated the Salonica revolution and
enlisted the sympathy of the world for a
regenerated Turkish Empire. Instead,
there have been three foreign wars: that
with Italy, which lost Tripoli and extin-
guished the Turks empire in Africa.
that with the Balkan states, which
deprived the Osmanli of all but the
Thracian fragment of his Euronean
empire, and finally we have had Turkish
participation in the World War, which
has already cost the Sultan Arabia. Meso-
potamla, Syria, with Palestine, and is
bound to cost him Armenia and the rest
OF his European lands.
Before the New Year we shall see the
Near Eastern situation liquidated. The
greatest changes in five centuries in Asia
Minor are already accomplished facts.
Iurkey, like Bulgaria has alread1, ceacea