The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-15
FRANCE ASSERTS RIGHTS
TO GUIDE IN FAR EAST
M. Govt Declares That 1t Has Long Been
the Role of France to Protect the
Helpless People of That


Paris, Feb Is Correspondence of the
France to guide the destinies of Syria,
Lebanon and Armenia Minor were ex-
pounded to the Associated Press to-day
by M. Gout, director for Asia in the
French foreign office. M. Gout asserted
that it had long been the role of France
to protect the helpless peoples of the
Orient and recalled interyentions by
France in Syria and Lebanon to defend
the Christians and that France had
played great part in the defense of the
Armenians in 1895 and 1896.
France" he said, worked not only to
protect Christians but she also sent mis-
sonaries into all parts of Turkey, not
for the purpose of proselyting but for
teaching and charitable work. Before
the war there were French schools in all
sections of Turkey, and in the great
towns there were French hospitals for
the care of the poor, In Syria especially
the number of French schools was con
siderable. in Beirut we had large uni
versity. and | must add that the Amer
leans also had one, working for the civil
ization of the Syrian people. A great
number of physicians were bred in the
French universities.
M. Gout called attention to the fact
that French capital and industry had
created three OF the four ports of Asia
Minor, and pointed to the great railways
built and controlled by the French. The
first road opened between Damascus and
the coast, the Damascus Beirut line, was
French, he said. 1t was also French
society which before the war undertook
the repair of roads in many parts of the
Ottoman empire, and a French company
had a concession for a big railway in
Armenia The important silk industry
of Syria, he added, had been fostered
and developed by France.
I'VE may point out also the great
share of France in the public debt of
Turkey, which is nearly 80 per cent" be
continued "The share of England be-
fore the war was 10 or II per cent, that
Of Italy nearly per cent, and Germany
had all the rest,
There is another important phase of
the question. You know about the great
number of monasteries and religious in
stitutions in Jerusalem. For our French
Catholics Jerusalem is a second Rome
and they always have sent money and
missionaries to promote the Catholic in
fuence in this holy town.
This sums up large part of the
claims of France in Asia Minor, and
believe that NJ. Pichou (Freneh foreign
ministerj was entitled to speak Of om
rights there He was the more entitled
to do so in view of the denominations
committed against the Armenians and
Syrians by Turkish Unionists early in
the war"
Referring to the treaty signed by
France and England while the war was
in progress under which France was Il
have supervision of Syria, Lebanon anG
Armenia Minor, NJ Gout added:
AT that time France and England
thought it necessary after the war tx
give all these populations a certain flu
ture and autonomy. But we We're obligeC
to note that in these countries there are
q large number of races and religions
Great differences exist between these re
lgions and races. 1t is not possible tx
give these countries uncontrolled indie
pendence. Their best pepoIe also agree
that it is necessary to have, not q mas
ter but sort of arbitrator and guide tt
civilization