Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-23
ALLOTTED AMERICA AT PARIS
NOW A PROBLEM FOR ALLIES TO SOLVE:
MUST BE FACED AT LONDON CONFERENCE

Turkish problem finds itself in far
different status from that which eX-
listed one year ago. when the col
lapse of the central powers led to
the armistice and to the conference
of Paris. Instead of having before
it the Turkish problem, complicated
only by secret treaties, not yet put
into actual operation, as was the case
at Paris, the London conference will
have to deal with situations created
by the partial application of the
secret treaties. They also will have
10 deal with the consequences of a
rapid extension of rivalry and bad
feeling between all the associated and
allied powers in Turkey.
To explain this situation it will be
necessary, first of all, to go back to
the secret treaties. Early in the war
the British made treaty with the
Arabs, who constitute the mass of the
population in the Turkish empire
south of the highlands of Anatolia and
Armenia in the regions from the Gulf
of Alexandretta southwark along the
seacoast. by which Britain pledged
herself, subject to recognition of
French interests. to aid in the restor-
alton of an Arab state, which should
include Aleppo. Bagdad and Damascus
and, in general, Syria and Mesopo-
tamia.
CIcuCu-oT1C1SQ ITGaIV.
At a later time France and Great
Britain made a treaty which divided
this same area into spheres of inf1u-
ence. Both countries recognized the
possible creation of an autonomous
Palestine. between the sea and the
Jordan, while Britain agreed the
French should have as a sphere of po-
ntlcal and economic influence the re-
glons north of line drawn from the
vicinity of Tyre on the Mediterranean
to Tekrit on the Tigris and extending
IN the north from the Gulf of Alexan-
dretta to Sivas and Diabekr in the
Armenian highlands. Other conces-
sions were made to Russia, but these
no longer have value, as a result of
the Russian collapse.
Finally, when Italy entered the war,
the same treaty of London, which as
signed Trieste and a portion of Dali
malta to the Italians, gave them a
third region of economic and political
activity extending westward along
the coast of Anatolia from the French
sphere, and including. the port and
district of Adalia. 1t was, moreover,
stipulated that if French and British
spheres were increased. the Italians
might claim similar expansion.
Now. the spirit of the first treaty.
that with the Arabs, was that there
should be. re- created a great, more or
ing all of the old Turkish territory
south of Armenia and Anatolia and
under the control of the King of the
HedjaZ, whose own state was before
the war limited to a small area about
the holy cities of. Mecca and Medina,
on the Red sea littoral. This treaty
was designed to enlist the Arabs in
a revolt against the Turks and as
sure to British armies operating
from Egypt and India. in Palestine
and Mesopotamia, necessary Arab as
sistance.
Arabs Assistance Invaluable,
The object was achieved - the
Arabs rendered invaluable assistance
both to Maude and Allenby and made
possible the decisive victory of the
latter on the plain of Armageddon
once the victory wasj assured, the
Arabs. relying upon British promises
demanded that they should be per-
mitted to occupy the whole of the
Arab inhabited regions, and set their
faces resolutely against the creation
of any French protectorate.
1t was to assure this solution that
Prince Feisal, the son of the King OF
the HedtaZ, who had made the cam
paign with the British and had al
ways kept with him Col. Lawrence. a
deserved fame in the Arab fight
ing, came to the Paric confer
ence. He not only insisted upon
British support, but appealed to the
Americans. basing his appeal on a
declaration made by the French and
the British after the Turkish collapse
that neither sought political or