The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-18

.iot' Mhile nv occupation OF Rhodes
liz subjected to n plebiscltc a few
years hence and her surrender OF
the ~podocanosus is demanded on be-
half of Greece by her recent part
ners, France Is soidily established
at Beyrut and Damascus and Allen
20 have received French Rarrisons:
while Britain holds Mesopotamia
and Palestine.
Italy Getting Ambitious
FOR italy, the dream OF resuming
m pathway OF Venice, OF regalning
the old bases Of Gcncsc prosperity
In the Near East has been cher
ished with increasing intensity for
many years. At the outset OF
Italian entrance into the present
war, her prospective allies rocog
nized her claim to preponderant
commercial interests in all of west
ern Asia Minor from smyrna to
Adalia. They similarly recognized
her claims 60 "A protcctorate in
Albania and to possession OF Dal.
malta. But Dalmatia has passed TO
Jugo-Slavia, Albania has asserted
an Independence which has been
maintained with arms and Italy has
been forced to withdraw her garri-
sons to avoid a new and costly war.
As for Smyrna, not only. are the
Greeks IN occupation, but their
troops have reached or are APP
preaching Angora.
If Greece can successfully
maintain the position which she
mas won and In which she has
Brltlsh support, then the Near
VIII become AIN Anglo Greek
hunting ground, it VIII be Greece
and not Italy which Will hold CONF
merCtal supremacy and Creek
genius for trade will he backed
by British capital, while Greek
ships n not Italians will prevail.
The last door & colonial and rpr-
maps TO commercial greatness
viii be closed for Italy. The final
hope of restoring az least a frac-
o Of the old Roman mastery
OF the inland sea viii have passed.
Italian policy, then. IL clear as
daylight. Italian statcsmanship on
poses Greek expansion, has opposed
IT steadily for all the years since
the craftsmanship of Vonicelos and
the victory in the first Balkin war
set Greece on her great forward
march, The opposition grows out
OF the fact that for Italy, the Near
East and precisely the Turkish cs-
tate in Western Asia offers the last
opportunity for Italy TO become,
like France, or like Britain, n really
great colonial nation, with solid
foundations on the alien shores of
the Mediterranean.
Italy arrived Too late"
Like Germany. Italy, Modern
Italy arrived late, perhaps too late.
at the table where the choice bits
OF world real estate were being di-
vided. She has lost in Africa, she
has lost in Europe, there remains
Asia. but here the Greek threatens
to prevail and If he does prevail.
then all Italian dreams of expansion
are brought to nothing. Greece and
not Italy will dominate the Eastern
Mediterranean.
The French attitude Is not quite
as simple, II is not tho case with
rance that any considerable mum
Der Of FrenChmen hope or desire to
see France establish at Smyrna.
much less at Constantinople. Here
we encounter one more phase of the
Angle-FrenCh duel, which is going
on everywhere from Kattowwitz to
Mosul. France opposes Greek
claims and denies Greek rights in
Constantinople and in Smyrna, be-
cause Greece Is the soldier of
Britain. France prefers to see Tur-
key remain at the Golden Horn, be-
cause If Turkey stays France be-
lieyes that she win have more in
fiuence than Britain, or at least an
equal position.
In addition France is n neighbor
of Turkey along the Syrian border
and she has sought to purchase i'm
munity from Turkish attacks here.
by support Of Turkish claims else
whore. Finally, as the holder OF the
largest fraction OF the Turkish ex-
ternal debt. she is pecuniarily in
terested in secing Turkey retain as
much territory as possible. because
lost province reduces the value
of the French mortgage. The
French hate Constantine because he
the German interests in the
var and was directly responsible
for the murder Of French sailors in
Athens, but beyond the questions
OF sentiment and even OF money.
less that Of opposition to Britain.
French Would Bargain Now
What the French would ike to
arr i've at is "A bargain with the Brit
ish by which they would be allowed
a free hand in Europe and, in re-
would concede to Britain a
free hand In the Near East. French
opposition TO Greek purposes, which
British backing, would disap-
pear over night, provide British OPP
position to Polish rights, which
French endorsement, were
eliminated. But as long as Britain
Polish claims in upper ST.
lesla one must expect French OPP
position to Creek claims at the
and in Lsia Minor.
Americans may find reason 10 re-
fleet upon the fact that at Paris,
.onstantinople was assigned TO the
States and President Wilson
Was prepared, AT least for the mo-
ment, to advocate the adoption Of
city under n mandate from the
Of Nations, Everyone. with
the possible exception Of Italy. was
that we should take Il on.
italy was less concerned with
'onstantinoplo than with Smyrna
and would have welcomed us 70 the
former had We agreed TO her pres
ance in tho latter. We were 10 hold
Armenia az wen and much Of the
disorder and confusion which has
developed in the Near East grows
out Of the fact that a solution was
by Europe during all the
long debate in this country over our
course In the matter of the league.
Certainly no great power will be
permitted by It's rivals TO take Con-.