Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-13
ALLIES ARE UNABLE
T0ENF0RCE HOPES
IN WESTERN ASIA
Conference in London AvaiIs
Nothing as Greeks
Recall King.
by PERTH

| 10Y IaDIe 10 Inc Copyright lSsV.D
| PARIS, December 11.-Five weeks
ago British. French and Italian
statesmen parted with great flourish
of trumpets. announcing to the world
! that as regards Greece and the east
| ern world they were in perfect ac-
| cord and ready to enforce their will
The more the results of the London
| conference are scrutinized, however,
| the clearer it becomes that notwith-
| standing all their good will France
selves unable to control effectively
the whole of western Asia.
! At the London conference four de-
cisions were reached on December >
| 3 and 4. First it was decided that
the allies would assume their old
| freedom of action if King Constantine
returned to the throne on the as
sumption that thus new situation
! would be created. Second, it was de-
termlned that in the same juncture
they would consider anew measures
likely to pacify a country likely to
! be much upset by any decision of
the allies running counter to the ap-
parently overwhelming decision of
4 IhS 'iC>ioh PCopIS anu u attempt re-
form of the Turkish treaty OF
Sevres. Third. acting on rights grant
ed to them in 1897 following the
disaster of the Turkish war when
Greece had to beg them for financial
assistance they proposed to forbid the
Grecian ministry to authorize any
further issue of Grecian banknotes,
although the new Premier Rhallys al
ready has authorized such issuance to
the amount of 200,000.00O francs. In
this matter the power of the allies
seems to be crushing. The great credit
granted to Greece in America, Eng
land and France under agreement in
1918 still lies in Paris undrawn and
readily can be suppressed, which for
Greece would be disastrous. The
threat is that this will be done the
moment King Constantine reascends
| the throne.
French Wish to Ban King.
1t is not often in this world that
purposes so divergent as those of the
various allies have been 30 success
fully expressed in a single pronounce
ment. The French wish to ban Con-
! stantine and hope that he will not
thus supplying pretext for forcing
a revision of the Turkish treaty.
which is held inimical to France be-
cause it entails indefinite continuance
of warfare against the Turks in
Cilicia and if enforced is likely to
| result in the gradual determination
Of all French secular establishments
toward which the successors to. the
Turks are expected I'D be even less
| tolerant than the Turks themselves.
It was against her wish that France
was led to Sanction territorial parti-
ritorial responsibilities. She en-
barked upon her Syrian undertaking
only because by the terms of the
treaty she otherwise would have
been forced to disappear entirely
from that eastern world with which
she has been connected for centuries.
On the point Of limiting as much as
possible the partition process. her in
terests seem identical with those OF
the Roman Catholic Church. which
Orthodox Church than from tho inidel
Turks.
The tendencies of British policy
are entirely different. Throughout
the east Britain is determined to ena-
ploy various autonomous or "inde-
larry colonies of her Asiatic empire,
which otherwise scarcely could be
maintained henceforward against a
strong Asiatic Turkey, now that.
owing to the destruction OF Russia,
Islamic forces can be expected to be
and not northward, as formerly.
Consequently, Britain cannot be ex-
pected easily to abandon the idea for
malIy adopted by Lloyd George last
spring of making the utmost use Of
the Greek army in order to enforce
ment.s
Tried to Persuade.
With such an end in view the first
impulse of the British ministers was
to try desperately to induce their
French and Italian associates to &C
cept Constantine in case a set Of
guarantees could be extracted from
realizing that owing to the French
feeling against Constantine the Paris
ministry could not avoid. II he re-
turned, break with Greece. which
the Turks. Lloyd George. advised by
| Venizelos. who communicated with
him through his close London friend.
| Sir John Stavridi. decided to try to
induce Constantine imm ediately to
abdicate. accepting the succession of
though tool of the German sympa-
thizers, could not be charged with
having actually shared in his fathers
| anti-ally intrigues If such q settle
contenting himself with supreme COM
Milan of Serbia a few decades ago,
the British plan will have proved
successful. Under the London agree
ment France will be unable to seek
reform Of the Turkish treaty depriv-
ing Greece Of her territorial acqui-
| sitions.
| Moreover there is another obstacle
! to that peaceful settlement with the
Turkish nationalists which consistent
! ~ has been sought by France and
Italy-namely. the principle loudly
| proclaimed by the British that. were
! an amendment of the Turkish treaty
to be made. territories taken from the
Greeks could not be given to the
Turks. but must be placed under an
international regime on the theory
that nothing which has been taken
from the Turk must be returned to
him. This would leave no room for
/ Turks.
| Force Must BE shown.
Further considerations cannot be
ignored. In order to dictate to the
! Greeks and Turks in the east. the
allies, even If unanimous, would need
! to show readiness to enforce their
resolves by military measures. But
the prospect Of increasing its present
military financial burden.
| Thus, 1t seems certain that eastern
events viii shape their course with
out neing materially affected by the
policies OF the allied powers. and
another dream of those who sacrificed
Tor the creation of better world, ac-
cordins to European American stand
ards. will be shattered. Owing to the
quick rehabilitation of the various
armies the territorial limits within
which the winners Of the great war
can act efficiently. gradually have mar
fowed. simultaneously, the. time
rapidly Ia passing when 1t is possible
1Or reasonable men to entertain the