The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-07
BY FRANK Il. sIMoNps

A week ago l discussed in detail
he problems presented by the break
tp OF the Hungarian monarchy,
problems which are before the Paris
conference and in so far as they at
ect German Austria, will be solved
by the treaty Of ST. German. 1t re-
mains now to discuss the problems
presented by the Turkish Empire,
which has also collapsed and must be
aealt with in Paris
Turkey presents two distinct ques-
lions: The question of Turkey in Eu.
, rope. which is minor so far as territory
Is concerned, but of supreme import
nee on the strategic side, because it
1cludes Constantinople and northern
ores of the Straits, and the problem
Turkey in Asia, which is, or was,
empire, greater than Germany or
Istria in area, with a population ap-
eroximately that of Spain.
y The ultimate disposition of Turkey
IN Europe depends entirely upon the
decision of the Paris conference AS
10 the future of Constantinople, if this
city and the surrounding territories
are to go to the natural heir to the
country most largely represented by
The races inhabiting the region, then
Ihere is no question as to Greek rights.
From the beginning of history, Con-
stantinople has been Greek. 1t was
the capital of the Byzantine Empire,
which was Greek 1t only fell to the
Turks in the fifteenth century, and to
the present day the Greeks have re-
NAMED one of the largest elements
In the city population The shores of
The Straits and of the Sea of Marmora
IRE Hellenic in history and in popu-
lation.
Greece Unprepared.
But there are a dozen reasons VIII.
II would be an unwise thing to be-
stow upon so small a country as
Greece so staggering a responsibility
hs the guardianship of the entrance
TO the Black Sea. To bestow them
would be TO deprive Bulgaria of any
outlet on the Aegean. 1t would place
Greece in the future across the path
way of new Russia, for there will
be new Russia. 1t would impose
burdens and responsibilities for which
at least at present. Greece is not pre-
pared The second solution, much dis
cussed in Paris, would be to make
Constantinople and the shores of the
Straits and the Sea of Marmora a
tons. Not few people regret that
Constantinople was not selected as
the capital of the League of Nations,
the seat of its conferences, and the
territory in which the League OF Ma
tons would exercise something like
temporal power, once held by the
popes in Rome. This possibility hav-
Ing been eliminated, there was a long
discussion of the possibility of con
signing Constantinople to the United
States as mandatory. separating it
from Turkish territory in Asia and be-
slowing upon it most of the remain.
ing territory of Turkey in Europe
This would have meant to eliminate
the Sultan. 1t would have meant put
ting the sick man out Of Europe at
last, after five hundred years of in
competence and worse But the Sui
tan of Turkey is not merely head of
the Turkish Empire, but the recog-
nized spiritual head of the larger part
OF Islam, and very promptly there
came from British India and from
other parts of the Mohammedan
world emphatic protests. These pro-
tests would have had little weight
had there been any clear-cut policy
as to Constantinople, but there was
not. The European nations were will
Ing that the United States should I'M
dertake the task of repeating in Con
stantinople what was achieved in Ha-
yana, but all Europe has agreed
against the transfer of this city to
any single European power. while
there is not much enthusiasm at the
moment on the part of the United
States representatives
IL was then proposed, and Is now
under discussion, that Constantinople,
Anatolla. which is the larger part of
Asia Minor, and Armenia, should be
constituted manufactures under the
League of Nations, Armenia certainly
TO be assigned to the United States,
Anatolia either to the United States
or France, and Constantinople with
Anatolia TO the United State, if our
country agrees TO take Anatolia
Over Anatolia and Constantinople.
the Sultan would have shadow author
ity, such as is maintained by the
hhedive in Egypt, or the Bey in Tunis
Complicated by Claims.
This solution of the problem of
Asia Minor was, however, complicated
by innumerable claims and by not a
secret treaties. By the treaties in
which Great Britain and France
agreed TO support Italian claims to
Trieste and Dalmatia, they recognized
Italian claims to Dodacenese and the
island of the Eastern Aegean taken in
war, and TO practically all the south
ern coast OF Asia Minor, including
the great gulf of Adalia. Some en-
enlargement was also given to the
Italian claims upon Smyrna.
But the Allies have already as.
signed Smyrna to Greece and have
united in asking Italy to abandon her
claims to Dodacanese in view OF the
fact that the population is wholly
Greek. 1t results, therefore, that Italy
has demanded and will doubtless re-
ceive further concessions in the hin
terland behind the Gulf of Adalia.
Thus the whole of the western coast
of Asia Minor. with the great port of
Smyrna and all the south coast, and
Adalia, are separated from Anatolia
Ii one were also TO create a separate
state out of Constantinople and the
shores OF the Straits, Anatolia would
be deprived of all its outlets to the
sea and some seven or eight million
Turks would be penned up in Asia