Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-25
THE WAR IN THE EAST

The Greeks occupy lhrace' orN
;sh. French and Italian troops
occupy Constantinople and the
forts of the narrow seas, but
neither France nor Italy is willing
to fight the Turkish army, which
wishes to cross from Asia into
Europe and drive the Greeks from
Thrace. The British, woh have the
most troops in front of the Turk
ish army, have announced their IN
tention to fight alone if necessary
to keep the Turks out of the neu-
trail zone which guards the narrow
seas. Perhaps the Turkish com
mander may not force the issue,
or if he does the British troops and
the British navy may back down.
If neither of these things come to
pass war between Turkey and
Great Britain would seem to be IN
evitable.
A most curious situation pre-
walls among the late allies. France
has made a treaty with the Turkish
nationalists. 1t was a secret
treaty when it was made. Great
Britain was not consulted and
knew nothing about it until it was
made. Lloyd George and other
British statesmen were very angry
about it, and the British premier
said in parliament that the entente
with France would not survive
many incidents of the kind. France
and her allies were in CONSTANT
NOBLE at the time, and they recog-
nized and supported the govern
ment of the sultan. His authority
was not recognized by the Angora
government or the army command
ed bv Renal. The French made a
treaty with the Kemalists, by
which. they recognized French
rights in Syria in exchange for the
province of Cilicia, at that time
held by France. Thus the French
recognized the Turkish national
government at Angora, which was
regarded as a rebel government at
Constantinople. Here the French
recognized the sultan as the head
of the Turkish government, thu
having two strings to its bow. To
make the matter more complex, the
Turkish nationalists also made
some secret treaty of alliance with
the soviet government of Russia
to which France is very hostile
Russia has been furnishing wal
material to the Turkish national
lists. France is accused OF doing
the same. To an outsider it woule
look as though French diplomacy
was facing two ways in its friend
illness to the Turkish nationalist
and its hostility to the powerful
ally of the Turkish nationalist
the soviet government of Russia.
There is no doubt in the worl'
that. in spite of the debt of graft
tude which France owes to Grea
Britain for financial and militar,
and naval aid in the late war, tn
French people and the French gov
eminent are rapidly getting into
mood of intense hostility to Grea
Britain. The two countries ar
drifting into their old attitud
toward each other. 1t would be
strange but not impossible thing !
Great Britain and Germany shout
be drawn together in the near IL
ture in opposition to France. Ih
latter is evidently ambitious t
succeed to the former position @
Germany as the friend and protee
tor of the Turks. Then there
the religious question that woul
surely enter into a war betwee
Great Britain and the Turks. Gres
Britain rules a vast number of Mo
hammedans in various parts OF tn
world. A holy war against tn
British would make plenty {
trouble for Great Britain IN Afrie
and Asia, where already she hs
had some experience of hostiii'
on a religious basis.
But there is one guarantee
peace that is a strong one. NOT
of the great European powers
in a position to finance anoth'
war. Great Britain could do
better than any other, and yet tt
nation is staggering under its pre-
ent burden of taxation. None
the participants in the late worI
war spent money os largely as d
Great Britain, and none OF the
except the United States made ar
effort to pay war costs with tax
as far as the people could stand
We doubt if the British Poop
could be persuaded to support a