Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-09
NO FINAL SETTLEMENT
OF NEAR-EAST PROBLEM
San Reno Conference Not Unlike Paris.
Armenian and Palestine Issues Diff
cult-U. S. View of Mandate.

ment. constitute a clear majority OF
the population.
We have. then. in the Arab world.
or the Asiatic part OF II. the threefold
problem created by the Arab aspfra
tons. which are for unity and com
plete liberty. although the vast mass
OF the population is by no means I'm
the state of acute nationalistic con-
seriousness existing in the Balkans ten
wears ago, and by the French and
BRITISH policies expressed in spheres
or interest. TO which must be added
the local and popular circumstances
created by the Zionistic question.
Armenian Question.
But beside the Armenian question the
Arabian is simple. Two circumstances
combine to make it almost hopeless OF
solution. In the first place the system
atlc massacre of the Armenians have
resulted in reducing their numbers to a
point where they are a minority in many
districts incontestably Armenian a few
years ago. In the second place, the
costs of creating and maintaining All
Armenian state are such that only a M
ton without any present fear for its
own resources and with an unsel6shuess
beyond all cavii could or would under
take X.
The truth is that large army would
be required to establish an Armenian
state. and II would mean establishing a
state in which the Armenians were I'm
many districts clear minority. Thus
as far as one can see into the future
Armenia would have to be protected
The country Is not without exceedingly
valuable natural resources. but to de-
velop them would require vast expend'-
lures for roads and railways. Not In
any time which can he calculated would
the reward to the nation making the
sacrifice III any material sense be com
mensarate with the costs. Nor can one
blink tho fact that n,0l1l1 a
the single sacrifice. To suppress the
kurds and to guarantee the A,mcnians
against the Turkish neighbors. would
mean carrying on not one. but many lit
tie campaigns in a country difficult for
all military operations.
u. 9. View On Mandate.
Beyond indicating the greatness Of
the task shall not say more now Of the
Armenian mandate. it is clear that de-
spite certain sympathetic response to
proposal. the sense Of the country seems
against it. But the later developments
may change this sentiment. What one
must do is approach it frankly. with a
clear vision of the extent OF the task
for II we accept the mandate we cannot
afford to fail and we cannot draw back.
There remain three other aspects Of
the eastern questionable Italian. the
Greek and the Turkish.
One must conclude that at San Reno
there has been no real settlement Of the
near east. There. as in central Europe.
some lines. some frontiers have been
sketched. a semblance Of order has been
suggested In certain quarters. but the
eastern question remains in its essential
character unchanged. Or. II there be
any change. it is found in the fact that
the European powers are not now as
usually in past in conflict: they have more
or less compromised their own differ
ences at San Reno. and the new ques-
ton is whether the Arab and the Turk.
either through force or inertia, viii &C.
cept the present arrangement or pres
emily break out in one or more or those
tremendous eruptions which have car
ried him to the Atlantic and to the wallis
Of Vienna in past centuries.
(Oopsr right 1920 Mcclure NeWApaner SYNDICATE