Evening star., 1921-06-11
COLLAPSE Of ALLIED
NEAR EAST POLICIES
NOW IS THREATENED
Influence Evaporates as Red
Moscow Binds Vast Ter.
ritories With Treaties.
KEMAL HAS SCRAPPED
PACT WITH THE FRENCH
Supreme Council Must Face One Of
Gravest Problems Since
the Armistice.

Gravest Problems Since
the Armistice.
BY HIRAM X. MoDERwELL
By Cable 10 The Star and Chicago Daily Se~s.
Copyright 1921.
PARIS. France. June 11.-Mustapha
kemal Pasha's denunciation of the
French agreement. which is now 30
| occupying the entente. appears from
| Information recently received here to
be only the first sign of a new oondi-
| ton threatening the collapse OF the
| whole allied near east policy. The re-
cent publication Of the Russian-Per-
sian and Russian-Afghan treaties and
| the dramatic change in the Persian
| time what has been happening behind
the Asiatic mists in the last twelve
months while the allies have been
quarreling, compromising and delay
| ing.
The bald truth is that Moscow has
formed a solid block of allied or as
sociated states. largely Mohammedan,
extending from the Mediterranean to
| the Indian border and from the Black
sea to the Persian gulf. Within this
territory, which is larger than half
of Europe, virtually no allied troops
remain and the last vestiges of allied
influence are evaporating. This block
is Of two kinds: The first is made
up of the Caucasian repubIics of
Georgia, Azerbaidjan and Armenia,
which are nominally bolshevist and
are firmly under the military control
MnQrnW -
OF kemalist Anatolia, Persia and AZ
Ehanistan. all closely bound to Mos
COW by treaties which have been rati-
field or will be soon. These in the
process Of national reawakening. are
confident in the expectation of mill
tary aid from soviet Russia and they
now feel strong enough to defy Eu-
rope.
Cause Of kemals Act.
Kemafs scrapping of the French
treaty was due not only to his vic
tories over the Greeks, but also to q
feeling OF security because of the
+! bolshevist block. These states are
confident that Europe will be unable
to send the half-million troops neces-
sary to reduce them to obedience.
All this Muscovite diplomacy has
gained at little cost or sacrifice by
skillfully taking advantage Of the
Mohammedan fear of the allies and
the allies distrust of each other.
The Russo-Persian treaty must be
considered one of the most important
1t appears to decide the Angio-Rus-
sian struggle of the last quarter of
century for commercial and poiit-
ical domination in Persia in favor OF
Russia. Under present conditions il
is difficult to see how Britain can
prevent this settlement. In the
meantime in Moscow a new treaty
is being drafted for presentation to
the Persian people at the psychology
ical moment
Last February. the adventurer, sey-
yid Zialdin. with a force Of Cossack
troops, attempted a coup d'etat in Per.
sia. having, SO he loudly proclaimed.
the assistance OF a large number of
British experts and officers. But his
Cossacks resented the British methods
OF drill and withdrew their support
Meanwhile Mushaver-el-M -Malik re-
turned from Moscow with a Russian
treaty and denounced Seyyid. who was
overthrown. Mushaver became for
eign minister while one Kavam-es-
Sultaneh was called from prison TO be
premier. This completed the Russian
victory over the British in Persia.
Ny information is that the country
considers the British treaty to be COM
pletely dead. and it is believed that
the British officers and experts will
soon be out Of the country. However.
this does not affect the British oil
concessions in Persia
Not Menace to India.
Moscow's Mohammedan block IS not
a military menace to India. Such a
danger will be moonshine for many
years to come or until an overwhelm-
ing army equipment is assembled. but
it tends to consolidate Mohammedan
opinion for political purposes. espe-
cially in India. Its chief importance
is to checkmate the plans of the eco
nomic exploitation of the near east.
Further, Moscow's block makes pre-
carious the. position of the allied
troops in the bordering countries.
namely Syria and Mesopotamia. II
will be difficult for the allies to COM
bat this combination. The Greek army
seems to be on the point of collapsing
and the allied control of Constanti-
nople may be lost Although the
newspaper talk Of the danger of kemai
capturing Constantinopie is absurd.
this is probably Greek propaganda to
persuade the allies to let them annex
it. It is impossible for kemal's army
to capture Constactinople while the
British fleet is in the harbor. Per-
haps MoScow's plans are TO engulf the
city by revolution.
The Persian treaty renounces with
great flourish all the Russian special
rights, privileges and control in Per-
sia formerly enjoyed by the czarist
goyernment-for instance, the repay
ment of the interest and principal of
the loans to Persia by the czar and the
right to control the administration OF
the finances and to guarantee these.
Appears as Friend.
Thus the treaty becomes propaganda
tending to make Russia appear as a
generous friend. and Great Britain.
which does not renounce similar
rights. as grasping enemy. The
treaty. further provides for the usual
exchange of commercial and dip!o-
mati,, privileges. Persia specially
erees that her territory shall not be-
used as a base for military operations
AGAINST Russia. and provides that II a 3
Foreign military force exists in Persia
which in Russia's opinion menaceS-
Russia. and Persia is unable TO expel
II Russia will have the right to send
troops on Persian soil.
The Afghan treaty Is broadly sim
eift of 100000 rubles in gold
1ssoo. .ooo) annually to the emir and
financial aid to an amount which 10
not stated to the Afghan state. Rus
ia will also send techni0anS to h
help construct telegraph lines and
assist in administering the country.
n will be remembered that the
Kemalist treaty was of q similar
character. Thus Russia by renounc-
ing that which she could not enforce
gains military security. extended
propaganda lever on the AussulmaA
,opul afion of the nAar eaat =