Evening star., 1922-03-12

HE following is brief summary OF
the most important news of the
world for the seven days ended March
The British Empire-The world was startled
by the publication on Wednesday of the fol-
lowing telegram from the government of India
to Mr.. Montagu British secretary Of state for
India
ION the eve of the Greek-Turk conference. we
feel that it is our duty again to lay before your
majestys government the intensity of feeling
in India regarding the necessity for revision
of the Sevres treaty between Turkey and the
allies.
THE government in India Is fully conscious
of the complexity of this problem: but !ndia,s
soldiers participated in such great numbers.
and the support which the Indian Moslem
her claim to the completest fulfllment and
justify her reasonable aspirations
The government in India particularly
phasizes the necessity of guaranteeing the
neutrality Of the Dardaneles and the security
evacuation of Constantinople, sovereignty of
the sultan over holy places and restoration of
the Turk in Thrace. also in Adrianople and
Smyrna. The government urges that these
points are or supreme Importance to India
X x X X
At the urgent request of the India govern
ment for permission to publish the telegram
Mr.. Montagu, without consulting Lloyd George
any other member of the British govern
ment. authorized the puDllCdllOn, tnuS aSSuill-
ing chief responsibility for what is perhaps
the most extraordinary act in political his
tory-an appeal from subordinate govern
ment of the British empire above the head Of
the imperial government to the peoples of
the British empire, of France and of Italy (all
of whom concerned in the settlement of
the Turkish question:; nay. rather an appeal
to world opinion. Lloyd George took the only
possible Immediate course, and in a letter Of
stern rebuke demanded Mr.. Montagu's resigna-
tion, which rendered and WILL of course
be accepted by the sovereign.
n
permission to publish the telegram was only
less extraordinary than Mr.. Montagu's assent
to that request. 1t will be variously inter
preted-as sheer funk, in face of pressure
from the Indian Moslems: as a courageous eff
to the universal ear the only possible means
of it's salvation: as reasonable impertinence.
government the eve of the conference of
the foreign ministers of Britain. France and
on March % for settlement of near and
middle east problems 1t is possible that Lord
ouence s of the teiegram. anu It is even possible
that Lloyd Georges official head will fall. for
1ndan has no,cV "a nocv Which ME- Montagus
enemies call one of opportunism. ineptitude
liberal. is in very especial sense his ap-
pointee.
The telegram demands more for the Turk
than even Mustapha kemal has demanded.
3 Sovereignty of the sultan over the holy
places is hardly consistent with the inde-
pendence of the Kingdoms Of Hedjaz and
lrak. or with the British mandate over Pales-
tine What, one wonders, are the reactions
of King Hussein and King Feisal. British
proteEes. to the telegram? The question
going to be asked by those who cannot sleep
O nights because of the portent of Pan-Islam,
whether those gentlemen may not be in cahoot
with Mustapha kemal and the Indian Moslem
leaders. and willing to concede an imperiun.
in tmperfo to the sultan with respect to the
holy places The correct answer is doubtless
mo-" but no combination is too bizarre to be
possible in this bizarre age. As for Palestine
the Zionists are in a desperate futter-and
with good reason.
X X X X
AS I said. the foreign ministers meet on
the 22nd. Put it mildly. Lord Curzon will be