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

new atmosphere of trust between the
nations. But II the Eastern question
could be settled by the occupation and
administ ration of, Constantinople by
would be an end Of the plottings and
strtvings Of the various nations to con-
troll this waterway, the outlet Of Rus
sia and Rumania, perhaps the most i'm
portant single strategic point In the
world, as It has been the center Of
more struggles than any other point.
What the geographical limits of such
a state would be, remains problemat-
ical. 1t might be wise to permit Bull
garia 70 re-occupy Adrianople and re-
turn to the Enos. Midia line, thus find
Ing some solace for the termination Of
her hopes in Macedonia. Europe ac-
cepted such a solution after the first
Balkan war, but Bulgaria threw away
her gains, when she risked the second
and Turkey took advantage. of Bulga-
rian defeat to return to her lost citidel.
Gallipoli, on the northern shore, with
It's evil memories will have to be in
cluded in the new international state,
as we'll as the whole .Asiatic shore from
the Black sea to the Plain Of Troy. with
one or two Of the small islands near
Tenedos. but this would, in reality,
mean only a very small state. little
more than a thin facade facing the
vital waterways, but including Con-
stantlnople. Back of It the population
is Tukish, Brusa, the old capital of the
ters, If they retire to Asia Minor is
within sight Of the Sea of Marmora.
Further south facing Greece, Smyrna
and a considerable area, including the
many peninsulas and islands and a
fairly extended hinterland from My
tllene to Rhodes, should be Greek. Here
dwell something like 1000, 900 Greeks
and. behind them is a population once
Hellenic and sull preserving the Greek
tradition. In this way there would be
created a new Greece of from 5000, 600
to 10000, 900 people, while by aban-
this new state with ancient memories
would avoid the great perils, which
must come to any small country holding
the gateway, by which large states
would advance. The history of Belgium
is perhaps the best argument against
the present time, But the Greek claim
may be placed on file. and it Is far
from improbable that In due time the
Inheritance may return to the Hell
lenes.
International control of Constantine
pie and the strait is, then, the single
sound solution Of the Eastern question.
With Rumania, the Jugo-Slavs n the
Bulgarians as we'll as the Greeks, final
ly arranged within boundaries which
are based upon right and justice, with
Bulgaria, the n disturbing factor,
finally eliminated as a factor for harm,
since she will NO longer be able to meet
any one of the other states In single
combat, the Eastern question may. dis
appear and the unhappy people OF the
Balkans at last, after centuries OF SUI
ferlng be able to begin a new life, pos
sessing at last the opportunities OF
prosperity and liberty so long denied
Them alike by their Turkish masters
and by the rival ~jealousies of the great
powers In their own hands.
Apart from the problem Of Constan'
tinople, there remains only the ques.
ton of Albania to be settled, Today
this Is less difficult than 1t was wher
the conference of London wrestled witt
1t in 1912 and the peace of Europe huns
upon the ultimate agreement OF riva
alliances over the ultimate disposition
OF fpek and Jacoea.
There is an Albanian race, but Their,
is no Albanian nation and there nevel
has been, The Alhanilns inhabit thu
shore OF the Adriatic from Montenegro
to Epirus. But they are divided BY
religion into three separate groups, tn
| Mohamnedans, the Roman Catholics
and the Greek Catholics. The Roman
Catholics in the north have been loni
manipulated by the Austrians, VIII
sought to use them to block the Serl
roadway to the sea, The Mohamme
dams In the center have supplied tn,
Turk with his best and most truste,
soldiers until very recent years. TIL
Greeks on the south have been divided
between Hellenic and Italian sympa
thies.
Albania, as created in 1912, was moth
ing more than a makeshift. Austri
wanted to keep the Serbs from the sea
italy wanted to curb Greek aspiration
In Epirus, France, Britain and Russia
although in sympathy with the Serb
and the Greeks were unwilling to figh
to permit them to realize their ambi
behind Austria Italy, was not We
ready to have the world war break
and therefore seconded Sir Edwar
Grey In his effort to find a compro
mise. This compromise was the ridic
ulous state of Albania, which had 70
a brief time as It's ruler William c
WED, who latterly had his capital o
an Austrian warship and promptly dis
appeared as the world war began.
Serbia and Greece had agreed to di
vide Albania, the portion north of N
Skumbi to be Serb, the portion sout
to be Greek. But today Serbia Is lie.
interested in the Albanian problem
since as a portion of 1ugo-Slavia sf
Is assured of an outlet on the Sc,
Scutari will be pressed; probably u
Serbs will ask hat the valley OF III
Drin be the northern frontier OF A
bania. instead of the eccetric fror
tiers traced at London. but this
relatively n minor point.
To the south the difficulty is large
italy desires to crsaniHe all Of Alhan
realised at Versailles. but having tn