The Washington herald., 1921-09-18

hne aouuy IN Oreek hands, a real uonuer, miltariy
speaking, would seem to be assured the Greeks, a
line which might be held with minimum OF mill
taTy expenditure.
But. assuming that this be the military situation,
what Of the poltcall Already Athens has begun to
elamor for this occupation of Constantnope, On the
military side this is logical The Turk has been
beaten and his capital lies open. Should not the
Greeks enjoy the right which their success has es-
tabishedl But the political side the situation is
different Allied fleets and troops dominate and oc-
cupy Consantinople. forcibe entrance OF the city
is quite impossible, unthinkable
THUS Greece, at the moment finds herself in an
even disappointing situation than Russia
after her victories which led to San Steano. Still 1t
is plain that the existing situation cannot endure in
definitely. Today Greece occupies Thraee and thus
commands the landward approach to Constantinope
from Europe Her armies have passed the Bagdad Rail-
way Asia and thus similarly control the andward roads
to Scutar which faces Constantnope the Straits
Either Greece must be compelled to evacuate her Asatc
conquests Consannople must in the end pass to her.
But who will compel her to evacuatel Britain the
whole Greek predomnance in the Aegean and at the
Straits as advantageous herself for Greece and must
remain ward and protcge Of Britain II Greece gets
and keeps Consannope the old dread of Russian push
to open waters of the Mediterranean will be abolished
Greece will be British outpost against Russia, the English
sentinel the Bosporus And in addition the Greek
Will De availaDe keep IN cneck
who is a neighbor of British Mesopotamia. 49,.
But If the Greek obtains Consantnople and retains
Ismd Bigha Smyrna and Brusa, chen Greece will become
really considerable state and what is more will have
opportunity repeat the great Byzantine achievements of
other centuries She will organize Asia Minor, to put
the thing quite frankly British capital and British resources
will finance Greek occupation and development of all of
Asia Minor. For if memories of the Byzantine Empire
will doubtless be stirred still is easy exaggerate the
limits Of possibility. Yet it is far from impossible that
much Of Western Asia Minor may be again Helenized
it has been more than in history. " ..
A IL things considered this would seem the best sou-
"A ton OF the Eastern question The Turk is hopeless
He has lost his European empire and his Asatic star is
crurnblng Constannople under Greek control will be
modern city with all the circumstances Of modern
mefcia and industrial prosperity The British will see to
that 1t will regain the greatness, trade CENTER
world port which lost when the Turk brought the paray-
sis of Islam to the shores of the Golden Horn The
Greek state surrounding the Aegean and extending we'll
into the interior of Asia Minor will represent of
Europe to Asia, fields will be titled mines opened,
railroads will be built with British capital not with Creek
but the gain will be for all concerned Greek Turkish and
British
But she must recognize that such an expansion of
Greece only be attained at the expense of the dearest
hope of the Italians As stands Italians see
their future in the Near East France in sezng Algeria
Tunis and Morocco has forestaed Italy in that Africa Mi
which important detail in ancient Rome.
Britain has laid hands upon Egypt and will leave only If
becomes in fact free nominay independent and ac-
tuay British protectorate with the fact beeomngy dis
guised Even the east coast of the Adratic Italian
hopes have been baffled, Jugo-Slav state has
risen and already disputes Italian rule in Fume and
asserts claims to Trieste. .....
TO-DAY Tripoli is no solace for Italian dsap-
i pointment in Tunis and recent additions at
French and British expense in the Sahara and in
Somal1and do not reconcile Italy to seeing Greece
take foot the Asiatc mainland and lay hands upon
Smyrna, which is, next to Constantinople the great
prize of the Near East. Nor does Italy find cause
for satisfaction the fact that while her occupation
Of Rhodes is subjected O nlehiscite a few