The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-05

the world, and policies must be estab-
lished by the people themselves; hence
this appeal to the press Of the country.
But already we have had too much
generalization on this important subject
and II Is now time that we should come
down to concrete propositions and know
ing our rights dare to maintain them
In this connection the following case Is
submitted as pertinent to Lord Fishers
maxim for maintaining peace between
nations.
THE SUN AND New York HERALD on
August 8. 1920. published an editorial
showing that the Government of the
United States was deeply concerned In
as a factor in the Near Eastern. Cues
ton, conforming with the open door
policy laid down by John Hay when
Secretary of State.
II is the object OF this communication
to give the true facts of one much ma
ligned project on which the Government
of the United States has already spent
a deal of money, and which seems to
have fallen into the discard by reason
of the fact that designedly false reports,
seeping into this country by way Of Lon
don, have made a more lasting impress
sion on the minds of many public writ
ers than have the representations of our
own people, although the case was fully
and correctly expounded in THE NEW
YORK SUN OF June, 1911, two or three
articles in the Nep York Times Of the
same character end telegram published
In THE HERALD In ante-bellum days
which pronounced the fact that the
Chester project had unexpectedly been
brought into harmony with the interests
of the Bagdad Railway. had been adopt
ed by the Ottoman Government, and sent
to Parliament for confirmation"
Here Is the Fairy Tale.
Mr.. Charles NJ Pepper in a recent
publication entitled American Foreign
Trade refers to the case in point, thus
During the, old regime In Turkey one
such experiment was tried. 1t was at
the period when everything depended on
Turkish concessions. and the Sultan was
not chary of granting concessions. The
troubles which the concessionaries might
have with those who obtained previous
concessions did not concern him. In 1911
an American syndicate, with a capital
Of $50,000.000. was organized. It had
extensive plans of railway construction.
public works and kindred developments.
Considerable resources were opened to 1t
lor EXPLOITATION. FOR q time the project
seemed likely to succeed, and new
market to be created for materials from
the United States. Then the blow fell.
THE hand of Germany was stretched
forth and the American syndicate was
blocked at every turn. The Bagdad Rail-
way was not in reality endangered by
the Americans plans. but Germany
would have no competition from across
the Atlantic. Diplomatic representations
and protests made to the German Gov
eminent were met with cynical denials
of Germanys responsibility Berlin had
no knowledge Of its famous Ambassador
at Constantinople interfering. Certainly
the German Government had not in
structed him to interfere. And so on
Compared with his success in blocking
Britieh enterprises in Asiatic Turkey, his
killing Of American enterprises was
childs play: but his work was effective
Finally disaster overlook the American
capitalists. and ultimately they took
their losses and withdrew.
That experience would not be re-
peated under the new conditions. but
the know ledge of It still fingers and Is
likely to make American capitalists hest
tate. Yet there Is no more inviting fell
for investment abroad than in the Near
East and there is none which may be
made with greater benefits for the peo-
pies OF those countries"