New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-05
The Harbord Report

desirability Of accepting q mandate
in the Near East is extremely can
did 1t doesn't blink realities. On
altruistic and philanthropic grounds
American opinion at one time in
clined strongly toward undertaking
the regeneration of Armenia-a land
whose extraordinary niseries and
sufferings at the hands Of the IN
speakable Turk have saroused uni
versal sympathy.
General Hartford rejects absolutely
at the start the idea that mandate
limited to Armenia would accomplish
anything really worth while He in
dorses ex-Ambassador Morgenthau's
suggestion that the power undertake
ing mandatory supervision over Ar
menia ought also to control Constan-
tinople and become receiver for
what is left in Asia Minor of the old
Turkish Empire.
What is Armenia to-day? A tiny,
land-locked Armenian Republic has
been established in the Caucasus
on territory formerly Russian. It's
boundaries have not yet been ex-
tended west to embrace the Turkish
vilayets which constituted the bulk
Of historic Armenia. Whatever ex-
tension in this direction may ulti-
mately be allowed, It seems certain
that Armenia will remain small and
isolated. Her political and economic
rehabilitation will be difficult, if the
Kurds and the Turks are permitted
to maintain rival neighbor govern
ments. Anatolia, Kurdistan and Ar
menia are all one problem, General
Harbord holds, and must be dealt
with as one problem if the Turkish
Near East is to be civilized along
modern lines.
The ideaistic arguments for an
American service of this sort are
fairly stated. But success is ham,
pered, and practically precluded, by
political Obstacles The former Ger
man colonies in which mandates are
being set up by the league of nations
have been coded outright by treaty
But Russia has never coded to the
league the territory In the Caucasus
now held by the Armenian Republic
# Russia RECEIVERS her political
stability within ten years her inter
ests will bring her into sharp antag-
onism with the holder of mandate
over Constantinople and Turkish
Asia. And were the United States
to undertake a temporary protector
rate Of Constantinople and Asiatic
Turkey and assume complete control
Of Turkish finances and foreign re
lations there would be an inevitable
prospect of collisions with Greece
Bulgaria and Rumania, as well as
Russia, and with the major Euro
pean powers which hold Turkish
concessions and are investors in the
Turkish debt.
In military sense the United
States could maintain protectorate
in the Near East only on the suffer
ance Of Great Britain and the Medi-
terranean states. It's hands would
be tied fast. General Harbord seems
to be satisfied that no redemption Of
Anatoia and ARMENIA could be ac-
compllshcd except at the cost Of los.
ing the good will Ct practically all
the European powers which have
territorial and economic aspirations
in the Caucasus and the eastern
Mediterranean.
10 argue against a mandate be-
cause Of It's expense General Har.
bord's estimate IS s757 ,000.0 900 for
the first ave years. is therefore
supcrfUous Even IL no expense =,
all were involved, the other major
deterrentY would remain. Asia Minor
is far beyond our proper politlca,
sphere. 1t IL dangerous ground tc
intrude on And Hincc our role IN
the Turkigh peace settlement Il tina,
Ut en- onlcokcr, there is no liheli.
hood that the terms Of the treaty
viii be aecn az IN meet the conditions
IN which the United States could af-
ford - accept mandate.
The hrmenian leaders, in fart,
have ceascd IN hope that America
VII assume q protectoratc. Their
desire now IL that the United States
should show It's good viii by giving
them sons economic assistance and
exercising IT. influence b, secure the
recognition Of an Armenian Eepub-