The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-11
PEACE CONGRESS AND
THE EASTERN QUESTION

great intellectual center. by settine
Y mp institutions of higher education,
| teaching in the principal European
ana Asiatic languages the sciences
philosophy. art and history Of the
west. together with the history, reIi-
gions. Jurisprudence and art OF the
most important peoples OF the east
Asia needs energy and science OF Eu-
rope. and Europe stands In need o,
the wisdom, sense of proportion and
moral discipline which the east can
give her. Where could this fusion
be carried out better than In Con-
! ne osker sasA,e..- r.sss.A
Christian nations which have been
under the yoke of Turkey for so many
centuries and have at last escaped
from it Many Of the opinion that this
Question too, could readily be solved
by applying to near Asia, the ancient
cannons OF the European policy OF
expansion and conquest and dividing
these liberated territories among the
victorious powers either as protec-
torates or annexed territory. Europe
has for, too. long beeng used to re-
gard herself as the historic heir 70
the Ottoman empire for this idea
not TO seem to many the sim pIsst
and the most equitable.
This solution, however. presents one
serious difficulty namely. the fact that
the realm of the Ottoman empires In
cludes three Christian races WHOSE
national consciousness is too strong
to aionw them to be disposed OF
easily az European coionies-namely.
Greeks. Armenians and Syrians. A.
regards the Syrian Mussulman, It II
we'll know that they easily become
converts. With the fall of the Turk
ish empire, they will become recon
verted to the faith Of their fathers.
II Syria is not incorporated into an.
other Mussulman state. What win b.
said OF the Christian Syrians can
also be applied TO them to a certain
extent
Greece is one of the smaller Europ.
powers which has for nearly a CEN
fury had a free constitutional govern
ment, under the protection Of Great
Britain. France and (until 1917
Russia. Nor can we deny her ability
to govern with more or less success Ii,
accordance with western institutions
The Greek subjects of Greece are
however. but portion of the nation
which Ia scattered and rs found some
times in compact masses. sometimes
in small groups over considerable part
OF the Balkan peninsula. Asia and
Africa There are about 1000. ooe
Greeks In Asia Minor OF whom, L.
2oo.o inhahit the vilayet OF Brousss
and Adm. where they form the larger
part of the population, sincA the
Aegean Islands are almost EXCLUSIVE
iy Inhabited by the Greeks. HON can
we deny the right OF these people to
belong to the Greek state. whic6 has
existed for nearly one hundred yyars7
The Greeks are a nation and p1ssess
a state; hence. II liz Mt nat1rar that
the nation should desire to unite. az
far as possible. with this nation a. THIS
desire is all the more legitimate Eince
Greece has shown In her expression
of Il degree of discretion, which
might he initiated with advantage by
some OF the other races emancfpatad
by war. Premier venixelos hss de-
clared that Greece only desires the
islands including Cyprus and part OF
the vilayet OF Broussa and Adm: he
makes no attempt to lay claim those
Greeks who for reasons OF Keogtarhy
or policy will OF necessity be incIud
ed in the International state OF Con
Armenia or IN the drio-
ished Turkey which will be the sole
OF the Ottoman empire.