The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-11-08

Washington, Nov. 7.-While no
protest has been made thus far by
the state department against the
tri-partite agreement by France,
Great Britain and Italy defining
spheres of influence in Turkey, Off
cials stated today that this did not
mean that no objection would be
made against any provisions viewed
as ct;ojntravening an open door policy.
in Turkey. The open door principle
was insisted upon the United States
in the Turkish settlement it was
said when President Wilson was
asked in March by the French gov
ernment for his views on the tenta-
tive draft of the Turkish treaty.
The American note Of March "a,
said cit is the understanding of the
government of the United States
that whatever territorial changes or
arrangements may be made in the
former Ottoman empire, such
changes or arrangements will in
no way place American citizens or
corporations of any other country in
a less favorable situation than the
ciizens or corporation parties to
their treaty"
In some quarters it was contended
today that the second paragraph of
Article 2 of the tri-partite agree
ment did violate this principle in ex-
cluding from the particular spheres
of influence reserved for each OF
the three powers the nationals, OF
the other two contracting parties.
The paragraph in question reads:
"The contracting powers under
take not to apply nor to make or
support applications on behalf OF
their citizens for industrial or COM
mercial concessions in an area in
which the special interests Of one Of
the said powers are recognized, ex-
cept In cases where such power de-
clines or is unable to take advantage
of its special position"
Although the cabled summary
showed Article 10 of the agree
ment to provide against any preju-
dice to the rights of nations is of
non-signatory states to free access
for commercial and economic pur-
poses the full text of the article, ac-
cording to some officials may be con-
strued otherwise. It reads:
"Nothing in this agreement shall
prejudice the right of citizens of
third states to free access for COM
mercial and economic purposes to
any of the areas defined in Article
5, subject to the resolutions con-
tanned in the treaty of peace with
Turkey, of which have been volun-
tarily accepted for themselves in the
present agreement by the con-
tracing powers"
This latter clause, it was stated
today, was capable Of being con-
strued as being opposed to previous
declaration of equal opportunity.
Acting upon the principle of
equal opportunity for all nations
in Turkey as laid down in the Am
erican hote, the United States al
ready sought to apply that precept
in Mesopotamia. Inquiry was made
several months ago Of Great Bri-
tain concerning the reported French
British agreement over the exploita-
tion of oil in the Mesopotamian
area. This correspondence has not
been made public.
Western Antolia, in the sphere of
Italian special interests under the
Tri-partite agreement, produced 2
per cent of the worlds supply of
chrome before the var, Of which the
United States imported in 1913, 49,
200 tons besides a quantity of en-
cry. It is also practically the worlds
sole source of meerschaum. K