The Washington times., 1920-05-30
AMERICA WILL FIX
ARMENIAN LINES
President Must Inform Allies Of
Senate Defeat Of Proposed
Mandate.

The anticipated rejection by Con-
gress OF the British -French-Itallan
scheme OF having the United States
accept the mandate for Armenia must
be communicated to the allies by the
president. although he Is not oblL
gated TO inform them OF the veto OF
the Knox peace resolution. or OF any
phase OF the treaty OF Versailles that
has been beaten by Congress.
The action OF the President on Ar
mcnia was taken at the pressing re-
quest OF the premiers at the San
Reno conference. and he will be
Obliged 70 inform the prsmiers of the
result.
This. II is stated. however. will not
deter the United States from pro-
ceeding with fixing the boundaries OF
Armenia. The most important fixing
however, has already been done by
the British Meet at Batum. the great
port on the Black sea.
England Helps Self.
Not many days ago the statement
was made that United States COM
mercial interests could not get any
privileges at that port. and that In
fact the Shipping Board had failed.
This shows that the foresight OF Eng
land has already helped itself to the
very port which II Is said, President
Wilson wishes to include among the
good things to be vouchsafed to the
new Armenia.
1t is stated that the rights of Great
Britain In Batum were taken by some
kind Of agreement with the Republic
OF Georgia. which Great Britain set
up as an independent power, as
buffer, with the ultimate intention of
controlling in Batum the terminals
for the great oil regions OF the Cau-
casus. In the light OF what is now
known. II is not in any degree re.
markable that Great Britain. France,
and Italy should have left the
boundaries Of Armenia to the Presi-
dent.
Five Nations Concerned.
The facts are that. in liking the
western boundary Of Armenia. the
President must have consideration for
what has already been claimed by the
nations interested. These are Greece.
'tuiCs ohSc, 'SOf anu
Italy has not surrendered her claims
to a territory extending from dhe
Mediterranean to the western boun-
| daries. and SO has Greece. with
France demanding the unabridgment
OF her interests in Cilicia.
So far as can be ascertained here,
none OF these nations will be willing
to rewrite contracts already written
| among themselves at San Reno. It in
| not known definitely yet why the n ,w
| turn in Armenian affairs has led I'D !
ministration officials here to becoms
| SO keenly interested in Batum.
As a matter of fact Batum was
abandoned by the Administration
about a month ago. and IT was stated
that President Wilson would insist m
| Trebizonde as the most desirable port
for the rejuvenated Armenia.
Change Is PuxxIing.
The change is somewhat myste,ious 9
| unless 1T be fact that the United
States is endeavoriug to save it's face
| by some new kind of teamwork with
Great Britain at Batum.
| That port, however, and it's oil cx-
| ports are already sealed against the
world by some secret diplomacy be-
| tween England on the one hand and
| Georgia and Azerbeijan and possibiy
| Turkey herself on the other. There
is nothing here to contradict the ru-
NOR that Great Britain is actually
formulating a social treaty with Tur
key.
| In any and all events. the CONNER r.
cial interests of the Armenian coasts
and the trade with its hinterland have
been so securely fettered by the allies
that the fixing OF boundaries will b.
more Of a geographical and phrase
making than practical feat oi
| American diplomacy.