The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-28
TURKISH DICTATOR
HAS RARE APACITY
FOR STORY TELLING
y Far More Powerful Man Than the
Sultan Cooped Up in City
Of Constantinople.

ANGORA, July 20.-Mustapha Ke-
NAL Pasha, head of the nationalist ar
my and virtual dictator Of Turkey In
Asia, who is fighting the Greeks. is a
short, stockily built man who wears
European clothes, speaks French and
German fluently, and looks one over
with keen. gray eyes, the right one OF
which is marred by cast.
The Greek offensive was just begin
ming when the correspondent found
him at his pretty villa on the hills
mile distant from Angora, yet he dis
cussed It coldly as though 1t might af-
feet some other country than his own.
Mustapha KemaPs name Is known
throughout the east. where he is far
more powerful than the sultan cooped
up in his palace at Constantinople un-
der the guns OF the allied warships In
the Bosphorus. Every child In the
east knows his name. Both soldier and
politician, those familiar with the
American struggle for liberty fire.
quently compare him to the great lead
ers in American history.
In his moments OF leisure his Turk
ish comrades say he has rare capac-
ity for the telling of pleasant stories
and something OF the sense OF humor
and inocent fun characteristic of the
Turks. but these are not often dis
played In the presence OF strangers.
His sterner qualities were shown in
his resistance 10 and contempt for the
Germans during the great war and
since the armistice. in his organization
OF resistance to ally peace terms and
OF the Greek army.
At the moment the correspondent
saw him, he had just refused to meet
the British General Harrington to talk
peace terms as he Isl convinced that
such conferences cannot now have any
practical result.
'They won't realize that we are in
earnest. that we are speaking the
plain truth when we say we will make
peace only on our published terms,
he commented. ITO yield now means
turning over my country to the Greeks,
70 foreigners, to fate far more BIT
ter than that Of the Hungarians. The
only way Is to fight on for indepen-
dence.
''Wiil the nationalist movement sur
vive?" he said. slowly repeating the
question OF the correspondent. That
IS a question which interests not only
ourselves but is OF vital Importance
to the peace OF Europe and to the Uni
ted States and other countries wish
ing to re- establish a prosperous world
fit to live in. Why don't the allies see
this? Haven't they learned anything
since the great war ended?
"From an exterior point Of view, we
nationaliFts are trying to prevent the
Balkanizihg of Turkey. prevent our
house being divided against itself. pre-
vent the allies from establishing zones
OF influence leading TO future quarrels
among themselves"
While out or politeness he didn't say
go. It is known that he feels that Amer
leans should understand and help d.
Dramatically. at least. He asked for
news from the outside world for the
trend OF opinion as to commercial stag
nation.
He objected to the French point of
view that the Turkish and Near East |
questions will be solved only when is /
that of Russia.
ours Is a question in ITSELF" he |
said. and a very important one From
the point of view of international law /
and order, think it is admitted that
the destruction of say, the Austrian
empire. has entailed unsolvable prob |
lens. Have every state in the United
States warning with its ne.ghbors, and |
this VIII give you a conception of Eu-
rope today.
why destroy the fabric that holds
the Near East together? No political |
arrangement is perfect, but this was
the best to be found. 1t is my honest
belief that pre-war Turkey is still /
the only solution. with the Turks even |
made responsible. as before, for the
neutrality OF the straits. We have Civ
en- up to the British and. the French /
Mesopotamia and Syria. and the peo-
pies there must work out their nation
al destinies as they see Fit. But where /
the Turk population is in the majority T
we should control and we expect to.
Peace? or course we want It, 1t Is /
the allies and the Greeks who continue /
the war. 1t is running all Of us, but our
ruin would be immediate IL we accept /
ed their terms. When we have gotten |
rid OF the the Greeks we will continue
our sincere effort to keep going an |
honest national government. For one
thing. we viii clean up Constantinople. |
morally. During the great war and i
since the ally occupation it has be-
come a disgrace to civilization, a place
that might well be burned to ashes as
II stands