Evening star., 1918-06-23
RUSS|A'S WELFARE
| IS VITAL TO WORLD
British Diplomat Tells How
, Commonwealth Would
Rl. Help Asia.

Special Correspondence Of The Even
ing Star and Chicago Daily News.
PEKING, China. April 1o.-The allied
governments have refused to recog-
nixe the peace forced on Russia by
Germany, and are still determined TO
help those loyal Russians who are
keeping up their resistance against
the German effort to reduce Russia
to q state Of slavery far worse than
any she endured under the Romanons.
I should like to touch upon the
effect which the present state Of Rus
sia may have on us in China. There
are two ways whereby the Germans
can spread their tentacles out to this
country. The hrst IL the danger aris-
ing from the prevailing anarchy IN
Siberia and the large number OF
German prisoners now at liberty there
and said to be organizing into armed
battalions. That is a problem which
can be left to the good sense or
Chinese, Japanese and other allied
statesmen to deal with. / will only
say that in this matter our guiding
principle should be to help the Rus
SLAMS in combating the Germans, in
restoring order and re-establishing
their industries without interfering
In their internal politics. which is a
matter they must settle for them-
selves. We can lend them engineers,
supply them with the necessities OF
life and help them on their way, leav-
ing them free to determine their own
fArvv, nf
Danger Of Persian Movement.
The second line of German pene-
tration is perhaps even more dan ger
Gus. I allude to what Is known AZ
the Pan-Turanian movement. At the
beginning OF the war the Germans
worked the Pan n-Islamic idea for all
they were worth. but our victory IN
with the splendid loyalty of our Mo-
hammedan subjects and the action
Of the Shereef Of Mecca, has destroyed
all hope they have had of success In
that direction. Tho Russian revolu-
Russian hold on central Asia given
our enemy an opportunity Of spread.
ing out eastward from Turkey right
across central Asia to the confines
Of western China. Turan Is q Persian
word meaning the desert stsppss 70
:
seized upon to describe all races
speaking the same language in CEN
trail Asia. The Magyars and the
Turks have often played with the
idea Of uniting all those races under
their spiritual leadership. but now
movement As q means OF military and
economic penetration to. Persia. Az
ghanistan and beyond.
Significance Of Moslem Group.
We may undoubtedly expect to see
q strong Turco German move in this
direction. Now 1t IL estimated that
Mohammedanism is the religion OF
and such things as Mohammedan ris-
1ngs are not unknown even in this
country. The number OF Mohamme-
dams in Russia may be estimated al
something under 20,0o0.o00. OF these
as the Turkish-speaking population
of the Ottoman empire is not more
than, 100000. The Mohammedans in
Russia are distributed in large byt
not contiguous groups between the
central plain Of European Russia and
the fringes of the mountain frontier
of northern India The first OF these
groups is that of the Tartars Of Ka-
1an, who live along the middle course
Of the volga between Nishnf Novgo-
rod and Samara. Beyond the Urals In
western Siberia there is another group
Tobosk. and southwark where the
Volga Joins the Caspian sea are the
Tartars Of Astrakhan. together num-
bering about 1900, 700. West and south
again come the Tartars of the Crimea
(undsr 200,oo0) and the Mohammedans
Of the Caucasus (about 2.50o.000 Tar
tars and 100000 othsrs), with moth
ing but the Black sea and an artincial
land frontier to divide them from the
Mohammedans Of Turkey ana OF
But by far the largest Mohammedan
district in Russia 10 that which
stretches from the southeast corner
of Europe for 1900 miles across CEN
trail Asia First come the Chuvashes 9
ON the fringes Of the Volga plain. and
great midland stsppe the nevIishing
tribal confederaey Of the Kirshiz. and
among the transcaspian cases a
dvindlinx remnant Of Turkmens, and
beyond these again the Turks Of Rus.
sian Turkestan and the dependent
r body Of about 100000 Mohamme-
dam, occupying an almost unbroken
area between the Volga and the Cas-
pian ON the west. the line OF the
Transsiberian railway on the north
and the frontiers Of Persia Afghanis-
Moslems Not a Unit Today.
But there are patiently many OBJ
staoles In the way Of . union Of all
these races under the leadership Of
one tribe. IN the first place the Rus
sian Mohammedans are not OF one
sect. Secondly. there are profound
social and economic divsrsities be-
tween the different sections Of the
Mohammedan population. Thirdly.
fhere is the division Of language.
even among the Turkish speaking ele-
mont. The Kaxan Mohammed who
are the most influential and prosper
Gus. arc closely bound to Russia by
numerous ties. Their desire 10 for
national autonomy within . federal
Russian republic. for II Russia 10 sue
csssfully reorganiIed on this basis
them as the possible leaders of the
turkish speaking element in . demo.
cratic state containing . considerable
majority Of the TNrkSsh speaking
Sopulation Of the world.
How History May Be Changed.
II this can be brought about Ot-
tosnsu irredentism will collapse. The
fsiiyins point Of Pan-Turanianism
$1iU not be Constantinople. but KaSan,
and 90 far from the Anatolian Turks
Attracting the Tartars into the Otto
man empire. the Tartars Of Russia
VIII attract the Anatolian Turks.
But IN the event Of 4 reaction In Rus
sta TIE Mohammedans would inevita-
bly, break away and turn for support
to the Ottoman empire. and Ottoman