Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-17

hardly be disputed that CONSTANT
nople should no longer be left with
the Turks, who came as military In
vaders and have remained as such,
misusing ;fone Of the greatest eco
monte opportunities the world can
were established many. Of the Turks
would probably go back to the In
terror of Asia Minor where q Turk
ish state still survives. and many Ar
menians would probably return Ito
thar own newly liberated country;
the Greeks might very soon be the
most numerous. as from the first they
would betthe most active. element In
the population.
In Asia Minor live nearly 2.ooe, 900
Greeks. along with. wen or eight
million Turks. But the bulk of the
Greek population is grouped in the
northwestern and western part, Of
Asia Minor, in territory which has
been Greek since the almost prehis-
greatest port Of the Levant and when
Gyges, king of Lydia, began to make
war on the Greek settlements along
his coast. Greece claims the mex
alton of these districts. the jewel Of
which is the great port OF Smyrna, a
city overwhelmingly : Greek. This
would include a population of about
100000 Greeksa and a somewhat
Here again the claims of q large
minority of civilized Christians must
be balanced against a small majority
of semi-barbarians. During the last
five years the Turks. under German
instigation, have inflicted on the
Greeks Of Asia Minor prosecutions
not greatly less than those suffered
by the Armenians. and for the same
roocor-fho 1ocirn ne rN,,rly on1 rCo~-I
man to get rid Of a commercially gu
pertor race. Thousands Of Greeks
have been massacred and hundreds
of thousands deported. Is Turkey to
be allowedlt Ito profit by this? BY the
testimony sven Of Germans 1t a be
shown that in this regiol the Greeks
are far ahead of the Turks not only
in agriculture; they are increasing
rapidly in numbers and are spreading
further inland, actually recovering
territory from year to year for vest
ern civilization. This arrangement
would leave some 100000 Greeks in
Turkish territory in the interior. and
it is suggested that these might. be
who would be left III Asiatic Greece,
There remains a large Greek pop
ulation along the southern coast OF
the Black sea, principally in the dis
tricts around Trebizond and .'pther
cities further west, and a large colony
in the interior-nearly 400, 900 In all.
Geography alone would make 1t prac-
tically impossible for them to be an
nexed to Greece, but the Greek gov
eminent wants to make sure that they
have no more of Turkish misrule. IN
the memorandum given by Mr.. Ven
izelos to the peace conference It is
suggested that these districts might
be annexed to Armenia, with which
the Greeks have excellent relations
and which will undoubtedly guarantee
to the Greeks full freedom OF Ian
guage, religion and education.' !,
Greeks is in the islands-in Cyprus,
where some four-fifths of-the 100000,
people are Greek. and the Dodecan-l
esus, a group Of twelve islands off the
southwest coast Of Asia Minor, Rhodes
being the largest. where at the last
Greeks against $4,000 OF other races.
Cyprus vas occupied, by England
after the congress Of Berlin in 1878,
and ever since has been under. Brit
ish rule. In November. 1914, when
Turkey entered tho war, England for
mally annexed the island, but, almost
immediately after offered to cede it to,
~ASSSS . SAA0 "OAAu--SOAA1 k4A0A k1All08
and take part in the Dardanelles
campaign Constantine deliberately
threw that chance away: but since
Venizelos has placed Greece on the
side Of the Allies without; asking a
price, the Greeks hope that England
will take into account. the feeling OF
the population and allow the island
to unite with Greece.
The Dodecanesus was occupied by
the Italian fleet and army in 1912.
during the Italo-Turkish war. AL
though Turkish rule had been easier
here than elsewhere, the people greet
ed the italians as deliverers. but for
tmally expressed their desire for Union
with Greece. At the end Of that. war
Turkish non-interference in the ceded
province Of Libya, engaging to. turn,
them back in due. time. Turkey did
not keep hee part Of the contract, 10
legally, as Mr. Vehizelos admits. Italy
10 entitled to retain Them But to
consider nothing but the letter Of the
contract in a case. like this is very
crpation prevented the Greek fleet
from delivering the D~odecanesuG as It
fdelivered other Greek islands. and in
1.-THE meantime the Italian authorities
depressed expressions of Greek mas
EtionaY feeling by measures which
fSreat1y lncensed the Dodecanesianb.
Eyn n consideration Of government
Islands would go TO Greece Italy
lapparently values them. only In con-
Injection with her economic proSnects
In Asia Minor: but the Greek govern
ment considers that this may be met
In another way. = large part Of Asia
Minor Will be left to the Turks-Sa
rich region, which would remain eco-
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