Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-10-24
Tie Turk Revive3.

The resuscitation OF Turkey will
become a reality If Mustapha kemal
Pasha and the Turkish Nationals can
bring it about. This group, which Is
said to be gaining notable strength,
originally intended to set up a new
government for Turkey free from
supervision OF the Allied powers.
Having evidently thought better of
that. it has shifted it's ground and
no" agrees to support the existing
Turkish government Mustapha
kemai has issued :: manifesto declar-
ing that the Turkish nation will firm
!. maintain its national dignity
proving to the world its entire fit
ness for remaining in possession of
its sacred SOIL
The new movement started in
ErZerum and was joined by other
towns in rapid succession, Brusa and
.Adrianoplc being among them.
Mustapha asked the cabinet to re-
sign as a test Of his strength and
precipitated a crisis. This has now
been averted by the Nationalist
declaration to support the presen,
government. But the old question
of what to do with Turkey comes to
the front again and demands to be
settled.
To a man from Mars it would seem
absurd that a nation of Turkeys
material insignificance and political
immortality had been allowed to dis
turb the peace Of Europe for GEN.
turies The natural supposition would
be that such a plague spot could be
easily eradicated by determined and
united effort Of those annoyed by it.
But the whole trouble has been lack
Of unity Of the great powers. Ma
tional jealousies have always stood
in the way and saved the miserabl
Turkish tyranny from the death II
deserves. In the eighteenth century
Russia and Austria were played off
against each other for Turkeys
benefit. In the nineteenth she was
saved by the jealousies of Russia
and England. In the twentieth CEN
tury she may again have England to
thank for her preservation.
Hnuy ~A
was bluntly told not long ago by
Frederick CORVALLIS Conybeare in
lecture on Armenia. His honesty
and courage to tell the truth are re.
freshing in these days of open
diplomacy:
The safety of India. it must be re-
membered. has long been the central
idea of British foreign policy. For our
little island nation the centre of graIi
y Is not in London so much as it is in
Bombay and Calcutta with it's millions
the Turk We have always to think o.
the effect OF our attitude upon the mi'-
lions of those people Of Islam. That is
WY We haze stood in the past as the
patron of Turkey. and that is why We
cannot undertake courses of action IN
Turkey which. however justified. might
stir up trouble with Turkey and so lead
to special unnecessary causes Of trov.
bles with India.
This OF course is not official, but
it is the index to Britain's course of
action. The world appears to have
to take the choice Of keeping Turkey
and risking the peace Of southern
Europe or disnembering Turkey and
riskins the peace Of the British en-
pire.
For Great Britain to support this
new Turkish movement would be as
foolish as it would be immoral, for
she would Immediately incur the
enmity OF France. Italy and Greece in
particular. and the rest of the world
in general. She cannot afford - TO
that. even for the rake Of India.
-->0oe.-
We get lot Of free speech handed
to US that VIC coa.G get along with