The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-04
DECLINES TO
TAKE PART
In MEETING
America Sends For
NAL Reply to Allies
on Peace Confer
.ence

sociated Press) The American
government in notes delivereas
u day to the British, French assa
Italian embassies here, formaHa
declined 10 participate III the Neas
j East peace conference, scheduled
to be held III Lausanne, SWltzer-
land, next month. Later the state
department made public this gov
ernment's position on the confer
ence as outlined in the "aide me-
MORE which was transmitted
{ yesterday to the three govern
ments concerned through the
| American embassies at London
Paris and Rome,
| Reference. to the "aide memoire
was made in the formal reply to
the allied notes inviting participa-
ttion but which We're not received
|by the state department until after
the "aide n.eneire," carrying in
.structions regarding the American
view, had been dispatched to the
American representative in the
three foreign CAPITALS The forma,
replies, like the formal invi-
tations, were. directls worded
and explained that the. United
! States would send only. o'seryefs
to the Lausanne meeting, and add
ed that that conference vas pri-
,narily peace coafts 'ence. to- end
/ war in which the United States
was not a belliserent.
The text Of the aide memoire''
upon which the formal replies were
] based, as fully settirs forth the
american attitude follcws:
The conference proposed for
Ethe purpose of drawing up treaty
of peace with Turkey will have pri-
, ,marily to deal with the problems. re-
sul.ing from the state of beHiger-
ency between the allied powers.
Turkey and Greece. The United
{ States was neither at war with
! Turkey nor a party to the arrnis-
ltice of 1913 and does not desire
/ to participate in the final peace
! negotiations Or. tos assume respon-
,sibiIity for the political and terri
!!toriah adjustments which may be
effected
f.. ..Wshife' maintaining this reserve
IN regard. to certain phases OF the
= Near East settlement the, govern
ment of the United States does not
} desire to leave the impression
that ii regards its interests as less
entitled to consideration than those
1 of any other power, or that it is
j ! disposed TO relinquish rights en-
:! ioyed in common with other pow
! ers, or proper commercial oppor-
tunity, or that it is unconcerned
with the humanitarian interests In
volved.
! "For the purpose of clarity GER
tain subjects of particular Amerl-
can concern may be briefly sum-
married.
CD The maintenance of capitu-
! latons which may be essential to
the appropriate safeguarding the
!, non-Moslem interests.
"(2) The protection, under
proper guarantees, CT pfilan-
thropic, educational and religious
! institutions.
"(s) Appropriate undertakings
in regard to the freedom of oppor-
tunity with discrimination or spe-
/ cial privilege, for commercial en-
terprises.
"".t4) Indemnity for losses suf-
fered by Americans in Turkey as
result of arbitrary and illegal acts.
"(6) Assurances touching the
freedom of the straits
"(7) Reasonable opportunity for
! archaeological research and study.
This brief summary, while not
/, exhaustive, may serve to indicate
the general nature Of American in
! terest. To safeguard such inter-
ests and to facilities the exchange
of views the government Of the
United States is prepared to send
observers to the proposed confer
ence if this action is agreeable to
the powers concerned. Without
participating in the negotiations of
the treaty Of peace. these observers
would be able to indicate this gov
lernment's position in greater de-
tail than is possible in this aide
memoire' and they could also in
form the American government Of
the attitude Of other powers in
matters where there are mutual
interests.
LAS the object in view in sub
hitting this suggestion is the elm
ination Of any possible cause Of
misunderstanding, it is consider
ed appropriate to call attention to
the attitude of the United States
in respect to secret treaties and
agreements. 1t is not felt that
arrangements previously made
with respect to Turkish territory,
which provide for the establish
ment Of zones Of special CONNER
cial and economic influence. such.
for example. as the tripartite
agreement of 1920. are consonant
with the principle of the equality
Of commercial opportunity. 1t is
assumed that the allied powers
will not now desire, and do not in
tend to carry into effect previous
arrangements Of this nature.
'"The United States has no de-
sire to take any action which
might embarrass the allied pow