The New York herald., 1922-09-16

After his easily won victories in
Asia Minor and his unopposed occu-
patton of Smyrna and other Egean
ports KEMAL must have turned with
great confidence to the two other
purposes of his campaign, the occu-
patton of Constantinople with the
consequent control of the Turkish
Straits and the reconquest of the
plains of Thrace and Adrianople.
His decisive policy Of aggressiveness
after years Of procrastination and
ehesitancy on the part of the Allies
brought Europe With startling sud-
denness face to face with an alarming
situation in the Near East For the
first time since the war this question
takes on its previous character and
draws into its complications the rem
nants of the Austrian Empire. the
Balkan States and Russia.
Another and still more distinctive
reminder of the past, of the worst
days Of ABDUL HAMID, has come in
the burning of Smyrna and the
murder of the helpless victims of the
city's fall. So far the reports are
mostly from Greek sources and the
number of slain is placed at from
1000 to 1000 persons. These esti-
mates may be increased or dimin-
ished by investigation. But that
much of the city, especially the
Greek quarter, was burned. seems
certain.
Whoever has followed the course
of the Turk in dealing with racial
minorities of the Ottoman Empire
will find in these reports nothing that
will cause him much surprise. ABDUL
I HAND, according to Turkish records,
was responsible for the murder Of
more than 100000 Christians in his
reign. The Young Turks, who pro-
fessed great abhorrence for his
wicked rule, brought about the death
of more than 100000 Armenians
alone in single year.
1t is part of the fanaticism of the
Turks to wreak vengeance upon the
them for protection. KEMAL is said
TO have issued strict orders against
the i'll treatment of the conquered
and to have threatened with death
any one of his army that injured the
Greek non-com batants or people of
any other race during his advance.
His officers may have made serious
attempt to enforce their commanders
orders, but when it is remembered
that his army was made up of half
savages from the Anatolian and CEN
trail Asiatic highlands it easily can be
seen how difficult would be any off,
cial control over such horde in
spired entirely by religious and racial
hatred.
The Turk is the same to-day as he
was when first he came into Europe.
1t makes little difference whether he
is ruled by Sultan or the leader OF
Turkish Nationalism. And it is this
UAh VIM iOW 5tdbno Oli AHt oiOl co
az the Bosporus and asks to be re-
seated at Constantinople and to be
returned to his pre-war European
domain.
The remarkable thing about this is
that Europe will wiring its hands
and call out i'm horror just as II
did when sixty years ago the Turks
massacred the Bulgars or when
twenty-five years afterward they
burned Christian villages and mas
sacred their inhabitants in Mace
donia, Cilicia and Adana. VIII Eu-
rope, that a half century ago virtu-
ously began crying "Out with you,
bag and baggagel" turn over to the
Turks their capital and allow them
again to praise ALLAH for granting
them new lease Of European life?
II we were to seek a reason for
keeping the Turk at Constantinople
we should merely encounter the same
excuses which were given when first
Europe proposed to send him across
the Bosporus. How would the spoils
be divided and who would rule Con-
stantinople and the Straits? Again
the bogey Of holy war. which old
ABDUL HAND always kept in his box
OF diplomatic tricks, appears with
even more terrifying aspect than
ever before.
Now KEMAI, the hero Of Islam and
the man who won the first Moham-
medpn victory in half century, Is