Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-07
FACES SERIOUS !.
PROBLEM AT
MEETING TODAY \
If She Accepts Russian Plan
For Control OF Dardan-
elles She Fear. British
Ships; If Entente Plan Is
Accepted, Russia Would
Be Enemy On The Easter1
Frontier.
(By The Associated Press.>

Lausanne, Dec. THE Turkish
delegates to the Near East conference
today faced the difficult problem Of
deciding whether Turkey IN formulate
ing her plan for control of the Dar-
danelles should cast her lot with Rus
sla or with the Entente powers and
the United States. Turkeys suggestion
for the solution Of the, perplexing
straits question will be made public
tomorrow at the Hotel du Chateau.
A Difficult Situation.
Ismet Pasha and his associates in
formulating their plans were faced by
the sharp differences in opinion be-
tween Great Britain and Russia in the
discussion OF the Dardanelles ques-
ton. If Turkey, on the one hand. goes
over to the British camp she fears the
irate Russian army on her eastern
frontier. If, on the other hand. she
sides with Russia in demanding COM
plete control of the waterway she
fears the British navy in the straits
Russia Traditional Enemy.
The Turks thus far have temporized
by saying they favored M. Tchitcher-
ms plan. But they took this attitude
before they had heard the solution
offered by the powers. Ismet Pasha
and his associates were impressed by
the plan presented by Lord Curzon
yesterday on behalf of the Entente,
which was approved in general by the
statement Of the position Of the Unit
ed States. The Turks apparently can
not forget that Russia Is Turkeys
traditional enemy and that Premier
Lenine's government may not be less
covetous Of Constantinople and the
| straits than was Russia in the days of
the czars.
Turkey has always found protec-
tion I'M numbers. She has played the
F European conn trta tas.againsta each 9TH
er to her great advantage time and
again. and she hesirates to trust her
fate to Russia alone while the rest OF
(; Europe. supported by the United
States opposes an effort to turn the
Black sea into a Russian lake.
M. Tchitcherin. fighting hard to de-
feat Lord Curzon's plans, urges it
would enable com bination OF pow
! ers like the Entente to keep a great
| navy in the Black Sea as each mem
| ber OF the combination would main
tain there as many ships as belonged
to Russia. or whatever Black sea
power happened to have tho largest
navy at the time.
| Eye on Pocketbook.
Turkey, in considering Russta's
plan, apparently has an eye on her
on pocketbook. If she adopted NJ
/ Tchitcherin's proposals. Turkey would
! be forced to make a great outlay for
fleet and for Notifications, and as
she has no money she would prefer
: to have, some one else bear the ex-
] pense OF policing the straits.
Z May Adjourn.
There are many rumors Of a posi-
Bile Adjournment of the congress for
the Christmas holidays inasmuch as
{ the situation between the powers and
! Turkey has cleared considerably I.
The question Of captulat tions Is in
an even worse tangle than the straits
| problem. but Great Britain, France
! and Italy are showing tact in handling
| Turkeys sensitive attitude toward her
/ acceptance of anything that would
! bring her sovereignty into question
! Since the Russian squall over the
Dardanelles has been weathered with
out disaster, the prospects seem much
brighter for an agreement on princi-
! pies that will satisfy all parties. -
/! The various sub commissions are
/ meeting daily to thresh out the d1.
tails of the question on the agent1t
but the real work Of the conference
is largely accomplished in private
conversat atoms among the leading dele
! gates.