The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-11

considerable single element and the
Turks only a relatively small minority.
As long as the Turk holds CONSTANT
nople and the outlying districts, the
eastern question will remain, because
the Turk has for centuries displayed no
capacity for assimilation or organiza-
ton; he has merely camped In Europe,
he has pitched his tent amidst the sur
viVing monuments OF Byzantlum and
there he has lived and awaited the in
evitable hour when he would be evict-
ed and sent back to Asia, whence he
came and where alone there Is hope
for him In the future. To leave Con
stantinople to the Turk, therefore, =,
would be merely to postpone settlement
OF the eastern question, as it has been
postponed 40 many times before to the
great disaster OF the world.
The Greek solution is more appeal
ing. II Is the demand Of the Greeks
that they be permitted to extend their
frontiers to include all the Aegean coast
left to Bulgaria in 1918, the lower val
ley Of the Martha and the shores OF
the Sea of Marmora, the shores of the
Black sea as far north as Midia and
Sea OF Marmora and the mainland OF
Asia Minor, including Smyrna, with all
the islands Of the Aegean sea. This
would mean the restoration Of the By
2antine empire, which has been a
Greek dream for long centuries, On the
"hhAN 'Aib NliltlN NOdlh NV w
violence to the PRINCIPLES of self-deter-
mination and it would follow the tradi-
ton Of this region, which has been
Hellenic since the beginning of history.
Yet the difficulties are many. Greece
u a small state, with a limited popula.
ton and a small revenue. She would
be called upon to defend her new terri.
tories against the Bulgarian, who would
never permanently consent to be de-
prtved OF all Aegean seacoast, hers by
the fruits of the first Balkan var
since without this she would be cut
off from access to the open sea and
placed at the mercy of the Greeks.
Even the Greek possession of C%onstan.
tinople would be open at once to Bull
gar and Rumanian challenge, and ulti-
mately to Russian, II Russia ever re-
gains her strength.
That Greece should have the western
shore. of Asia Minor in considerable
part Is conceded by all, save the ltaI-
ians, who are rivals for this inherit
ance without any claim founded upon
have the islands OF the Aegean, which
are as Greek as Sicily is Italian, all but
the italians agree. That Northern
Epirus, also Hellenic, should fall to
Greece and not to that Albanian state
which Is to be a protectorate Of Italy,
all but Italy concede. Nowhere does
Italian ambition seem more ont Of tune
with contemporary ideas thar In the
Eastern Mediterranean, where Rome
seeks TO hold or acquire vast terrific
ries which are Greek by every right
one can cite.
But copoeding, as one smust, that
Greece should receive these gifts at
Versailles which constitute an elimina-
ton Of her own lrredenta. granted
that she must receive the islands and
the mainland in Asia Minor and Epirus,
by exactly the same logic that Trieste
| md the TrANttnn nrn e., Ia nIIaNI.N -
Italy, will the friends OF Greece seek to
saddle upon this little nation the great
responsibilities incident to tho possess
sion of Constantinople and the guard
ianship of the straits? This would
mean to put Greece between two fires,
that growing out of Italian jealousy and
tfat bound to come II Russia ever re.
gains unity n strength,
To me the claims Of Greece to Con-
stantinople, as well as to the Bulgarian
but unwise in fact. At all events it
would be onwise to press them now.
Nothing Is more certain than that an
iuternationalized Constantinople will at
no distant time become u Hellenic city
once more. The Greek element Is very
great, there are more Greeks In Com
stantinople than in Athens. the depart
ure of the Turk, with the creation of a
new Armenia, which will draw to 1t the
Armenians Of C~onstantinople, will leave
tue NtSVhS HlANltIS OF the SITUATION ues
spite the fact that they are citizens of
an internationalized state.
In all human probability the ultimate
fate of ~Constantinople will be to be-
come a part OF a new Greek world, ii Is
not an idle dream to imagine that there
viii be a rapid and enormous Hellenic
renaissance, when both sides OF the
, Aegeans and all the Islands are Joined
i to that Greek state which has already
, pushed far north TN the Balkan PENN
, sula reclaiming much OF the Macedonia
. OF Alexander. the Great. A few years
, Of peace and the Greeks will do the
, rest; THEY are the traders Of this re-
: gion, they AVE the commercial anti
. tudes and the traditional mastery Of this
I market and even under the Turk they
. have retained 1t.
. This is what the Italians perceive,
y and this Is the explanation Of the
: Italian effort TO curb Greek aspirations
on all sides, in Epirus in the Aegean
on the mainland OF Asia Minor. But
7 these Italian efforts deserve complett
n defeat, IL would be a crime to give Sar.
5 DINA and Sicily 10 Spain or to Britain
= Just as 1t was a crime to deprive ItalS
y Of Trieste and the Trentino, There {.
: nothing that car be aid for Italy with
respect to her lrredenta that cannot bt
4 said with equal emphasis for Greece IL
her lrredenta,
Y There remains the third solution, tina
e Of international control and | believe
y this will be the solution adjusted. Blu
d even here the task win not be easy
n International control has never proves
u happy. IT was a failure wherever triet
7, In Turkey, Ii can succeed now, only !
Il there Is q new spirit In the world and