The New York herald., 1921-02-27
No u. S. Mandate in Armenia
Another Disturbing Factor

Nor was the situation improved by the
fact that the United States had finally de-
clined to accept the mandate for Armenia,
and across this unhappy region the Bolshe
visit was striking hand with the Osmanli
Turk. The hope OF separating the Turk
from the Russian had thus expired and.
instead, an alliance and common assault
upon all allied establishments in the Near
East seemed inevitable.
In this situation the demand for a re-
vision of the Treaty of Sevres came with
equal vigor from Paris and from Rome,
where the original document had excited
no enthusiasm and not little quiet pro-
test. The French view was conditioned
upon two circumstances: realization that
the Treaty of Seyres gave the British SUI
preme control In the Near East, with
Greece as no more than an agent, and ap-
prehension for their own Syrian enterprise,
threatened by Kemal Pasha and his ma
tionalist movement.
Italy on her part was more particularly
concerned with the Greek aspect of the
question. Greece is the commercial and po-
litical rival OF Italy in the Near East and
in Albania as WELL In the Conference OF
London in 1912-13 italy had successfully
excluded Greece from Northern Epirus and
she had continued to hold the islands Of the
Dodecanesus In her bargain with the
Allies which preceded her entrance into the
world war she had received some promise
as to Smyrna. But the terms of the Treaty
of Sevree recognized Greek claims to North
ern Epirus to the Dodecanesus and to
Smyrna In reality they revived the BY
zantine tradition and seemed to promise the
rise OF a really great Hellenic State on the
foundations of the old Eastern Empire.
France. on her side, demanded and de-
mands the revision of the Treaty of Sevres
in such fashion as to meet the demands of
Kemal Pasha In Anatoia and even on the
Gulf OF Alexandretta in Cilicia. She does
this with the expectation that such con-
cessions will persuade Kemal TO recognize
her own enterprise in Syria, where she has
been compelled to carry on war against the
Turks for many months. a war which has
been costly and far from uniformly sue
cessful. In addition. France believes that
the reduction Of the Greek gains will lessen
the British influence I'm the Near East And
finally, with Constantine France has q
grievance going back to the day when her
sailors were murdered at his direction in
the streets OF Athens.
italy is equally eager to reduce Greek
claims that her own position In the Near
East may be strengthened. She still oc-
cupies the Dodecanesus the Albanians on
her advice. have not yet retired from North
ern Epirus. Moreover. French and Italian
journals are also suggesting that Greek title
to Thrace and the shore OF the Aegean
which belonged to Bulgaria before the last
war. be attacked and Bulgaria permitted to
occupy all of this region. which was briefly
held by them following the victory of Lule
Burgas and preceding the beginning of the
Second Balkan War. This amendment OF the
Treaty OF Sevres would fall in with the
American contention I'm Paris, for our repre-
sentatives steadily opposed the denial to
Bulgaria Of a window upon the Aegean.
This amounts to an indication that the
French and the Italians prefer henceforth
to play with the Bulgarians rather than
the Greeks.
Such an amendment as is proposed by tho
French and urged by the Italians would de-
prive the Greeks OF all their foothold upon
the mainland of Asia Minor. including the
great city of Smyrna. II would return TO
tho Turk all his Anatoiian lands. leaving
only the Aegean islands to Greece and TO
Italy. IT would permit him 10 regain some
thing OF a position I'm Constantinople IT
would leave him Armenia and all the high
lands up to the old Russian frontier where
the Turk now touches the Russian.