Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-22
Holy War Would Make
Germany World P0Wer
BY HERBERT ADAMS GIBBONS
Author, War Correspondent and
University Professor

iAth tilt INST uthlSu utItEdllOI
was summoned to Paris in the
spring of 1919 to learn the fate of
the Ottoman Empire from the vic
torious allied powers. who were at
that time sitting in judgment upon
the defeated powers, it was univer-
sally agreed by the victors that the
vanquished should all be treated
alike. Hence they were told the
truth about themselves when they
made pleas for mercy.
The entente powers to dictate a
series of treaties, similar in terms,
all inspired by the thesis that the
enemy powers were equally guilty
for the origin and methods Of a var
that had threatened the bases of our
civilization. For this reason NJ.
Clemenceau answered the plea of
Damad Ferid Pasha and his asso-
ciates that Turkey be let eff easily,
by a s~tatement-in his blunt, UNI
vanished manner-to the effect
that the Turks had always made Z
mess of governing and that history
recorded no instance where lands
once freed from the Turkish yoke
had not become prosperous and
better to live in.
Gust Turkey
The original idea of the allies
seemed to be-once they had tied
Germany hand and foot and dis
membered Austria-Hungary-to full
fill the promise made in the reply
to President Wilson's famous note
to the two groups of belligerents
at the end of 1916. What were the
entente powers fighting to accom-
plish? Nothing less than putting the
Turk for all time out OF Europe,
and this clearly meant out of Con-
stantinople, for the simple reason
that the Turk had forfeited all right
to consideration by his crimes
against civilization.
But soon it was realized thai the
settlement of the Near Eastern
question was not going to be easy to
decide upon. The prime minister
of Great Britain, France and Italy
held conference after conference,
and the Treaty of Sevres was not
ready to hand to Turkey until a
whole veal or more after the Ger
man and Austrian treaties had been
signed.
Force-Tslam's Creed
There is only n form of pres
tige that counts with the Moham-
medans, the prestige of force. If
they get the idea into their heads
they can play one master against
another, there is no telling what
they will do while they are run
ming amuck.
This is seer at the present mo-
ment. Owing to French and Italian
intrigues at Angora ,Mustafa Renal
has the bit in his teeth. The entente
powers can pull on the reins all
they want to. 1t is too late. They
are dealing with a runaway horse.
He will, of course, one or later
come to the end of his strength and
go to smash. But may he not bring
to grief with him those who are try
ing now to pull him in?
If the events Of the first fortnight
of September in Asia Minor had
only to do with the discontinue of
the Greek we might look upon
them without batting an eyelid.
Armies have been thrashed before
The Turks have long been massa-
cring Christians, and yet the world
has wagged on. =.
But l write from personal expert
enc having just GOMEZ rom ASA
Minor and Constantinople, when
say that the Angora Nationalist
represent something far different
from a group of partiots valiantly
retrieving the misfortunes of their
country.
Behind Mustafa Renal Pasha
stands the Islamic world ~3OO,0O0'-
600 strong, stretching across south
ern and central Asia and northe
and central Africa. Behind the
Islamio world stands Soviet Russia.
Behind Soviet Russia, if they moose
to do so stand Germany and Japan
oh, the folly of France! Oh! the
folly of Italy! Oh. the folly of Eng
land! And-yes, / must say ton!
the folly of America!
We are all in the same boat, and
the waves are beginning to rock us
hard.
In regard TO Germany and japan
I put in a qualifying clause. The
victory of the Kemalists is OF ire
mendous value to Japan, marking
as it does the defeat Of a European
and Christian people at the hands
Of an Asiatic and non-Christlan
people. Its ~repercussion in further
ing the propaganda of Asia for the
Asiatics," which Japan IS SPONSOR
ing, is incalculable.
Turkeys Coup
Then a startlino thing happened
the full significance of winch mas
not yet been appreciated. But 1t Will
be during the winter of 1922-l92S.
A group of Turks, led by Mustafa
Renal Pasha, ~repudiated the Treaty
of Sevres. and set up a separate
Turkish government at Angora.
The entente powers sat tight at
Constantinople. 1t was the Greeks
who enforced the Treaty in Thrace
and who entered upon an extensive
campaign in Asia Minor to assure
for themselves the possession of the
Smyrna region, given to then by
the Treaty of SeVres.
France and Italy made treaties
with the Nationalist at Angora and
furnished them with the military
means to combat the Greeks. Great
Britain cried out against this policy,
but backed the Greeks only half
heartedly because a strong section
Of public opinion in England sym
pathized also with the Turks.
The Greeks maintained them
selves in Asia Minor for more than
three years. Then they became dis
Outraged at having to fight not only
the Turks but also the French and
Italians, and they realized-as Oc-
cidentals did not-that Soviet Rus
STA was also backing Angora. The
losing game ended in demoralizing
them.
FTanco-Italian Errors
With singularly short vision the
Italians and French began to re-
Joice at the success of Mustafa