Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-10-25
The Mandate for Turkey
From the New York Times.

II Is pleasant picture which MI. Morgen-
than gives Us of the possibilities of Anglo
American cooperation in the near east, and he
70 probably right when he says that after few
years Of competent administration CONSTANT
New York Of the east. Nevertheless, there
are several objections to the proposal which
he brings forward; objections both sentimental
and practical.
y He seems to have In mind an American
stolia, and Armenia as political unitHthat is
for oil that will be left of the Turkish empire
after the loss OF Arabia. Palestine, Mesopo-
tamia and Syria. The proposal that the ven
ture should be financed by the sale Of Turkish
bonds guaranteed by the United States" sug-
Turkish favor to the affair Perhaps Mr.. Nor
gehthau hopes to revive in Constantinople and
Anatolia the cosmopolitanism inherited from
Rome, which continued to some degree under
the early sultans; but Turkish national and re-
ligious sentiment has wrought too many out
RACES on Christians, In the last century, to
make q. sort Of all-round and reciprocal forgive
ness OF trespasses very probable. The Turks
ought to get out, to get back into Asia. In
central Anatolia there may still be left Turk
ish state; but in Constantinope, in Thrace, and
in Armenia the Turk should be regarded as a
foreigner, subject to the jurisdiction of others
It is penalty long deserved, which there is
now an excellent opportunity to apply; if it is
not applied now, the world may suffer as much
as from the failures of 1854 and 1873.
The arguments in favor of an American
mandate for Armenia, inhabited by progress
sive and intelligent people which would very
soon be making its own way and paying its
own way if freed from Turkish rule, are con-
siderably stronger than for any American con-
troll over Anatolia. Constantinople is still an
other matter. Mr.. Morgenthau is properly
solicitous for some disposition of Constantine
pie which will suit all the interested parties, in
Guiding Russia. But what will suit Russial
Presumably he means that Greek control of
annexation. would not; and doubtless old jeal-
ousies would make Russians suspicious of any
British control. If Constantinope is not to
be left to- its inhabitants, which is perhaps i'm
possible for the present, no doubt everybody
would rather see America there than any other
state. But would the Russians expect US to
hold the strait in trust until they were ready
to take it over? To that the Greeks and Others
might object On the other hand, the Greek
population of Constantinople is likely to in
crease in numbers and infuence-and it is al
ready some 40 per cent of the whole-under
any new administration. If, at the end Of
temporary American mandate Constantinople
should exercise self-determination and vote
union with Greece, the Russians would be no
better off ~
A permanent republic of the strait is solu
ton in many ways attractive and doubtless
somebody would have to take the mandate.
But it ought to be ASSOCIATED, mo less than
Armenia should be dissociatedN from any sur
vival Of the Turkish empire. The world has
had enough Of that; and we have promised to
liquidate the affairs Of that empire with regard
to the interests of the peoples concerned. OF
these various peoples the Turks themselves in
view of their long record Of brutality and gov
ernmental incapacity, should be considered
last.
Moreover, Mr. Morgenthau is frank enough
to tell us that it might cost $300,000,0OO or
$400,000000 whs<h is = respectable sum Of
money, even in these times. We might get
some Of this money back he says, by selling
Turkish bonds backed by American guarantee.
If we sold them, we should have to do it on the
strength of the guarantee; Turkish credit does
not attract investors at present. A trife ex-
pensive, all this; and it is hard to see what
benefit we should derive. out of England's will
ngness to give US equal rights in the Strait of
Gibraltar by way of compensation for taking
over the Turks Everybody has equal rights in
the strait in peace time, and if England again
became involved in war she would hardly admit
an American garrison to the rock.