The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-13


be far preferable to avoid such fric-
lions by better diplomatic methods?
You know London's complaint: A
separate peace with the Kemalists
in Turkey would give insufficient
| guarantees for the Turkish mi
norities; the evacuation of SILICA
without the approval of the other
allies would result in grave military
! danger to Mesopotamia resulting
| from the clauses concerning the Bag
dad railway; economic concessions
would be given to France outside the
zone in which the inter-allied agree
ments recognize Frances special in
terests.
Frances Replies
You also know Frances replies to
| Great Britains reproaches: ALI of the
allies have recognized the Kemalist
| de facto government since they re-
| ceived Dekir Samybey last March; the
treaty of october 20 reproduces with
only slight modification the draft pre-
| pared in March which the Angora as
sembly refused to ratify; Frances
need fer tightening her military bur-
dens since she alone for two years
has suffered from the prolonged state
| Of war with Turkey.
To this the English reply that they
that moreover 1t was plan for an
armistice and not peace treaty. Fur
thermore, they say this separate
treaty conflicts with the collective
effort for mediation now being made
! by the allies between Turkey and
Greece.
There is the whole argument to
date. Perhaps it has been obscured
by the sound of conflicting reports
1 a i
must go back of words to realities.
Old Disagreement
At the bottom is a disagreement
three years old. Great Britain, hav-
ing done most in the Syrian Mesopo-
tamian war thought she ought to
have a larger share in that region.
consider this claim unjust, for tue
victory was the work of all on all
fronts. and France carried the heav-
lest burden on the Saloniki front, as
on the western front. The British
troops conquered Syria, but had the
French failed on their fronts there
/ would have been victory nowhere.
There have been two other clashes
since. Emir Feisul last year treach-
erously attacked our troops, yet Eng
land has enthroned him at our door.
Next was the divergence of opinion
regarding the latest Greco Turkish
war, England supporting Greece and
/ France supporting Turkey. These
two incidents illuminate the whole
confusion of the last IS months in the
near east France, weary of endless
fighting in Cilicia, and desiring peace
there as elsewhere. seized the recent
opportunity to make peace with An
CORA. Nobody can blame us. But just
as when we occupied Frankfort and
recognized General Wrangel, our gov
eminent neglected to inform England
promptly. This was an error of meth
cd as usual Moreover, it was an eX-
tremely clumsy thing to burden this
treaty with economic concessions to
France in Angora, where France
never claimed special interests.
Outweighcd by English
A copepr mine, however interest
ing to private purses, is not worth q
quarrel with England. l do not think
the French government had wrong
full intentions. but as usual it acted
exactly contrary to its own interests.
1t Is true England set an example by
her unfriendly attitude on the Feisul
question a year ago and by her stub
horn and unwise encouragement of
Greek Imperialism. Indeed, Eng
lands faults in the near east out
weigh those of France. The English
press might have thought of that bs-
fore attacking France so vehemently.
But meanwhile what Is becoming
of the entente to which in other di-
rections France has made so many
sacrifices in the last two years? Re-
turning blow for blow in this fash
ion is not an entente. Where will
such tactics lead these two coun-
tries?
AS / have said many times before
France and England must get to-
gether and talk over the whole gen