Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-27
ARMENIAN MANDATE WILL
TEST OUR FOREIGN POLICY
Fortunately, Brighter Skies III the
Near East Now Afford a Clearer
View Of Our Responsible.
ties and Ideals

View Of Our Responsible
ties and Ideals
A MEXICAN humanitarian impulses
"A cannot fail to be touched by the plea
for our intervention in Armenia in the
role of a mandatory.
In that historic region of lofty noun
tnins and high plateaus which stretches
f.om the northeastern corner of the
Mediterranean to TranScaucasia and
from the Black sea to the northern
frontier of Syria. nearly one million
persons pcrished at the insensate hands
of the Turk in the year 1915 alone.
That hideous orgy of slaughter marked
the climax Of reign of brutality un-
paralleled in either ancient or modern
annals.
Yet, in spite Of this organized and
deliberate effort to exterminate a ma
ton. the spirit of heroic people re-
mains unbroken. Armenia, declares
the authoritative Doctor Jastrow, of
this city. in his informative discussion
of The Eastern Question. lis on the
map as an independent republic. and
there she means to stay. though she
needs outside support TO protect her
from the GCorgiaus on tho north. from
the Turks to the west and from the
Kurds. who arc all about her. The
situation is precariouS for people that
has been so terribly weakened by fright
full mussacrcs and by hardships almost
beyond human endurance so that one is
amazed to find any vitality left among
that remarkable people. The spirit
shown by Armenia may be regarded as
the one bright spot in a political stu
alton that is otherwise sombcr.
Americas opportunity to sustain the
light of civilization and justice on this
tragic soil hardly comes as a surprise.
The situation. however, assumes definite
and explicit outlines in the formal rc
quest which the Supreme Council. sit
ting at San Reno. is sending to Prcsi-
dent Wilson.
Against the force of generous SPnti-
mcnts is pitIed distrust of practical re-
sponsibilities. The contest is not one
which the people Of this country can
afford to view lightly or with mere en-
phasis upon narrow partisanship. In
stiuCts OF service claim recognition on
this specific case.
On the other hand. the obligations
foreshadowCd involve so radical a de-
parture from our historic practice that
it is not easy to restrain timorous
Imagination and keep it within the
bounds of facts.
These. so far as the Near Eastern
question was concerned, were deplorably
muddled during the long sessions last
year of the Paris conference. But the
process of clariratiOn at San Reno has
been singularIy speedy.
1t is possible at last to obtain some
inkling Of what American protection of
Armenia would mean. for n vast task of
nstruction-perhapS. in its inherent
values. the greatest attempted by the
peaccmakcrs-has eventually taken tan
gible shape.
This performance is nothing less than
a division among civilized nations of
major portion of the Byzantine empire,
which was itself the heir of Rome. The
Turks. who poured into Europe in the
fifteenth century and had earlier in
vaded western Asia. did not actually
disrupt the venerable imperial realm.
They simply usurped it. The present
dislodgment of the false heir, save per-
haps in Constantinople, is freighted
with facts of transcendent import. Ac-
acknowledgement of them will at least
serve to explain some of the realities in
America 5 quandary.
The Turkish treaty. which has been
completed in substance, aCcords the
mandate for Syria to France and the
mandate for Palestine to Great Britain.
The latter is already in control of
Mesopotamia and exercises by special
pact with Persia a dominating influence
in that country.
Whatever suspicion of imperialistic
aims may be entertained concerning the
two great victorious nations of western
Europe. it is at least fair to assume that
new regime of order is 10 be cstab
Iished in their spheres in the Near East.
The possibilities of new prosperity in
these regions of now development in
compensation for the centuries of retro
gression, the cycles of cruelty, bigotry
ana ignorance, are simply luCuICuluDlt'
The Near East, under the stimulus of
commerce, law, educational enlighten-
mcnt, railway construction and irriga-
ton. is perhaps destined to regain some
thing like its primal place in the ranks
of civilization. Britain and France will
be the chief guardians of this advance
mcnt.
Under such conditions it is reasonable
to assume that the Turk will be com
paratively powerless for harm. The rule
of the Sultan in the internatiOnalized
Constautinople will be mainly hCtional.
The stabilizing influence which France
and England are bound to exert in the
Near East cannot be overlooked in Cs-
timating the responsibilities attached
to an American mandate for Armenia.
1t is obvious that in protecting the
heroic new republic, Turkish opposition
would not constitute for us a really
serious obstacle. because in the real.
istic sense the Turkish empire will cease
to exist and the last refuge Of the tur-
bulent Ottomans, presumably in Ana
tolia. will be bordcrCd by territories in
which strong nations capable of enforc-
ing their DEGREES will be in high com.
mand. There is, therefore, small like.
lihood that our assumption of n man.
date for Armenia would compel us to
fight new wars.
There would be no exemption, how.