Evening star., 1920-01-07
SEES TURKEY AGAIN
C0NVALESC|NG FOR
MISSION OF EVIL
BY FRANK II. sIMoNDs.

That part of the capital, a very tiny
part which knows its Paris confer
ence, is watching the latest difference
OF opinion of London and Paris over
the eastern question with undis-
sulsed interest. 1t is only a little
more than a year ago that another
dispute over neareastern matters
produced the first real fissure between
me British and French partners in the
alliance which had just defeated Ger
many. And not long after that dis
pute developed the United States be-
gan to be mentioned by many onlook-
ers as the certain mandatory for Ar
menia, for .Constantinople, presently
Tor Turkey itself.
Back of all else in this earlier dis
pute lay the rivalres of two foreign
oft1ces. which for centuries had been
engaged in unending battIe-battle of
the diplomatic sort, only occasionally
rising to the level of real incidents,
disputes that found their way into the
newspapers and led to recriminations
between capitals of the old fash ioned
sort Even the outward manifesto
tons were absent after the famous
general liquidation of 1898, which led
TO the later agreements in Morocco
and Egypt. led to the German belief in
AN encircling policy led to the sew
eral Moroccan affairs, led ineluctably.
toward the world war itself.
United first by the entente cordiale.
then by an alliance in the presence of
the enemy, lastly by the terrible ex-
perlence of four years of struggle, the
French and British public forgot old
jealousies and rivalries. But not the
foreign offices. Once victory was at
tanned there began the age-long bat
tie over the redistribution of the east.
Had Rights in Syria.
France had rights in Syria, recog-
nized by treaties surviving in some
thlng more than tradition since the
crusades; Great Britain had Egypt.
the land road to India, old obligations
and new ones to consider.
The result was battle which, sell
dom rising to full view, poisoned the
peace conference for weeks and
months. British champions of the for
eign office policy whispered in Amer
lean ears the corroding idea that
French imperialism was Weakening
that France, without the requisite re-
sources. was aiming at vast colonial
ventures against the will of the peo-
Piles concerned, using several of the
Presidents fourteen points, including
that relating to self determination.
French retortS were prompt and
telling. when had self determination
been applied to Egypt? Was not
Britain, AS usual, sweeping up the
outlying provinces of the world, gath
ering in the few remaining tidbits,
while Paris solemnly debated the di-
VISION ol European teTTltOGy not ue-
sired by the British in terms of Presi
dent Wilson.
Now in all this there was nothing
of the expression of the will or wish
of the people of either nation. In the
main neither the British nor the
French people were aware of this lit
tie battle between foreign offices. but
it did world of harm. 1t con-
tributed immensely to creating the
impression in American minds, so
familiar now. that the conference of
Paris had .degenerated into a mere
suuabble for plunder and battle over
the spoil.
Finally Compounded.
In the end the thing was compro-
missed, as it was always bound to be-
Each foreign office obtained all that
it had actually expected to obtain.
Syria was left to France. with a
somewhat mythical arrangement with
the Arabs in the back country, and
Mesopotamia remained British, with
the Holy Land sandwiched in be-
tween, recognized in some fashion to
be under British protection. Gen.
Gouraud. who won the last battle of
Champagne, which was the frs
round in the second battle of the
Marne, is in Syria. and in due course