Evening star., 1920-03-15
RISE
IN TURKEY IS TOLD
NationaIists' Ascendency,
Bringing on Crisis, De-
scribed in Report.
BY the Associated Press.

BF inc hsso'latfC frpSS.
| The ascendenCy to the power of the
old pro-Gerrnan nationalist party In
Turkey. which has resulted in the
present Turkish crisis is described for
the first time in confidential reports
received here from Constantinople by
Prof. Der Hagopian of the Armenian
! national delegation to the peace con-
| ference. Copies Of the reports have
| been submitted to the State Depart
ment.
! The nationalist party was supposed
| to have been crushed by the operation
of the armistice terms. but it's present
| movement, under the leadership OF
| Mustapha Wemel, the famous defend
er of the Dardanelles. is described as
| rivaling that of the COMMITTEE OF
union and progress" which. in l9os;
| dethroned Sultan Abdul Hamid ana
proceeded to the systematic repres-
, sion of alien races in the ottoman en-
| pire.
! Started just After Armistice.
According to the reports from Con-
stantiaople. the reorganization of the
! nationalists was started Immediately
after the signing of the armistice.
Mustapha being assisted by Enver
Pasha. Tallat Pasha and others among
the Young Turks" who were sup
posed to have fed to Germany after
Turkey surrendered. The party be-
gan its activities outside the lmme :
diate sphere of the government in
Constantinople and had as it's objects
the reconuuering of the territory OF
the empire held by the allies, the pres
ervation of all the old Ottoman en-
pire north of a line drawn from Al
eXandretta to Mossoul along northern
Arabia and determination of the non
Moslem population of the empire.
To hiring ah0nt these ends. the re-
ports declare there was begun the
organization of vast pan-lSlaTnc
movement among Afghans Perslans
and TartarS in an effort to embarra So
of Moslem colonies. Cooperation
with the Russian bolsheviki also was
planned.
When the supreme council. at Lon
don. approached the question Of set
tlement of the Turkish treaty of
peace the nationalist plot. the re-
ports declared suddenly took form
with the assacers in Cilicia and the
military activity of Mustapha Kennel
in Anatolia.
Anti-AlIy Propaganda.
Describing the rise of the national
fst party, the report says that soon
after the armiStice MuStapha, by his
activities in organizing civil and mil
itary officials favorable to the old
committee of union and progress"
of the Young Turk party, excited
the anxiety of the sultan. who or
dered him to the provinces as in
spector general of the Sd Army Corps.
There he continued his work of TO-
menting anti-ChriStian and anti-ally
propaganda.
On April %. 1919, a congress of
Young Turks" and elements attract
ed to the nationalist movement. pre-
sided over by Mustapha, was assem-
bled in Erceroun. According to the
reports. it passed resolutions calling
upon the Young Turks" to "resist all
attempts made by the allied powers
to occupy territories inhabited by Ar
menianS and Greeks or to intervene
in favor of Greeks or Armenians''
~ thorough administrative organi-
Zation was built up in the towns and
villages of the Turkish provinces and
machinery for the election of gen.
eral assembly and representative
committee was established.
No Mercy to Opponents.
Confronted by a movement, which
was disQuieting as well as unwise." !"
the reports say, "Damad Ferrid Pa
sha. in accord with the sultan. de-
cided to react against it with energy.
But these measures were belated.
Mustapha was acting in the prov
inces like supreme despot. All those
national forces were prosecuted and
mercilessly dealt with.
"Mutapha appointed and discharged
public officials of all ranks. Cover
nors were shot. Most of the military
commanders belonged to the young
Turks" party and so they espoused
the cause of the national forces"