New-York tribune., 1919-06-07
No Turkish Mandate
The Views Of Frederic c. Penfeld, Formerly Ameri-
can Ambassador to Austria
To the Editor Of Tho Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
C1R: It delights me to read the plan Of
the peace conference for practically re-
firing the Ottoman Empire from the
family of European nations, and / trust that
the programme becomes concrete when
tho Turkish delegates are brought TO
France.
The cringng appeals Of the Sultan for
generous consideration, because he came
to the throne in the midst of the war, and
in the making Of which he had no part,
should pass unheard. It is unrecorded that
he once took any step appealing to peace
until his beaten armies had collapsed, as
a result Of General Allenbys triumphs In
Palestine. Never was there q claim that
the new Sultan had any opinions varying
from those Of his German controlled
brother, the stupid Mehemet V. Yet the
Sultan remains the only sovereign Of the
Central Powers to retain his crown, which
is strange evidence Of the eccentricities Of
fate.
The big four announced month since
from Paris that Egypt now IS British
protectorate, and the confirmation later
will probably perfect Brltain's title to the
land of the Pharaohs. A fortnight ago
Greece was formally installed as mandate
over Smyrna, with the step validated by
the fleets Of the Allies outside Smyrna har-
Dor, and we read that the event caused
mild panic at Constantinople.
Little Area for Turkey
Jerusalem and Mecca, shrines Of great
religions, have by the wax been redeemed
from Turkish misrule, the latter carrying
with it so much Arabian territory that the
kingdom of the Hedjas is a political fact.
Doubtless form Of autonomy amount
ing to independence is to fall to Armenia
by mandate over the country whose soil
for twenty years has run red with Chris
tian blood by reason of Mahometan
hatred. The whole of Mesopotama is now
British; France expects to possess Syria,
while Italy, Runlania and Serbia are to
receive generous territorial reward for help
ing to bring success in the world war.
With these losses of soil, it is seen that
but very little area can remain for Turk
ish rule.
1t is pleasant to read that the absconding
Enver Pacha has been apprehended in his
hiding place in the Caucasian Mountains,
and the presumption is that the scoundrel
will be tried for his share in bringing
Turkey into the war. He was the Kaiser's
active agent, and the responsibility for hun
dreds of thousands of murders rests upon
his head. incidentally, when this worthy
effected his getaway from the Bosporus
he took with him the last few millions in
the Sultan's cashbox. Hanging may be his
punishment, while his accomplices in
crime, Talaat and Djemal, when surren-
dered to justice, may expect summary pun
ishment.
Another tool of Germany's exploitation
of Turkey is the Shekh-ul-Isar, head of
the Mahometan faith who was 80 COM
pletely controlled from Berlin and Pots
dam that in the name of his faith he
sought to arouse hatred of all Christians
by formally commanding at Constantinople
with high German officers on the plat
form with hima holy war against the Al
lies throughout all Mussulman lands. This
fanatic also provided German agents with
Endorsements to the leaders of the Senussi
tribes of Northern Africa, causing the
Bedoulns to make war upon British troops
in Egypt and in the desert to the westward
of the Nile. Fortunately both moves proved
abortive, but what the scoundrel did was
dastardy and his punishment should be
severe.
NOg Our GhoS;vuts