New-York tribune., 1922-12-05
Turkey "Trifles,'' Curzon
Charges; Challenges Is
met to Quit Enigmatic
Position and State Views
MOslems Mute as
Soviet Head Acts
Hint of Attack on Eng.
Iish at Chanak Seen in
Retort by Tchitcherin
BY Wilbur Forrest
Special cabl, 70 Ths Tytbvns


LAUSANNE, Dec. 4.-The hercs
conflict that developed between Great
Britain and Russia over the question
Of the Dardanelles at to-day's session
Of the Lausanne conference led Mar
quis Curzon, British Foreign Min
lister and Allied spokesman, 70 re-
mind the Russians and Turks thst
Allied ships and men-meaning pre-
domInantly British ships and men
are now In position IN the Darda-
nelles and the BOsporus, and thus
constitute a "very definite factor IN
the situation"
Marquis Curzon, In the heated
course Of the discussion, also charged
the Turks with "triAing" In this
vastly important matter, and dsliy-
cred a spontaneous challenge 70
lsmet Pasha, head Of the Turkish
delegation, 10 emerge from the enig.
matte position which the little man
from Angora consistently tried %
occupy to-day.
The upshot Of tho proceeding vas
that curzon forced a postponement Of
the whole Straits discussion until the
Turks come out and declare them
selyes-whieh they resolutely refused
to do to-day Officially the postpone.
ment Il until Wednesday. Tonight
the ranks OF the Allies appear badly
shaken, and Curzon, Barrere and Car
rione, following q private conference
'r sa govern.
ments for new Instructions
Russians Cause Of Crisis
The Russians, Of course, were tAs
ones who brought matters 20 this
hectic pass. TchitcheFin presented
their claims for the closing Of the
Straits 10 all warshlps and the teeur-
lty Of the Black Sea, precisely as he
predicted he would, and the Turks aat
In the background, "obseryers,' pre-.
cisely as foretold In these dispatches
Tchitcherin outlined tao Russian
position as demanding first OF all that
permanent liberty for commercial
traffic must be assured. Malntenanca
Of peace IN the Black Sea and security
along lis shores also must be assured
he said, together with a guaranteed
lasting Near East peace. Ihe Oar
danelles and the Bosporus must b
closed both 20 warships and ali mill.
tary aircraft In times Of peaee ana
war alike, for all powers save Turkey
For the Turks, Tchtcherin demanded
the right TO fortify the shores Of the
Straits and the Bosporus and 70 main
tain feet
The Bulgarian delegation backed uD
Rumania's position, and asked, further
more, that Bulgaria be given seat on
any international commission that may
be established 10 control the Straits.
Ho was az pains 20 deny any hus-
sian aspirations to Constantinople' NO
said. however, Russia had no idea OF
consenting 20 any arrangement where
by her own security would be menaceo,
and referred in this connection 70 the
v---fimo occupation by the Allies on
Sebastopol, Batum, Odessa, koar,9n,
, Il. a., ara 70 the Allies a9inty
later, thanks 10 their passage Of the
Str rs. 20 maintain the ant-sovlet
armies Of Denikine and Wrangel IN tne
field. Ne stressed, too, the impottAnss
OF the Dardanelles In the economic We
Of Russia, especially as ~ per esns ot
Russia's wheat fields hnds oesiet
through this channel
TchltcherIn Appears Nervous
Tehitcherin laid down his points With
sharp emphasis, but hls general tone
., /. 80 - s-~ous lTa~cibiiity, even
more marked In this respect than y
80 last tine he met Win
Allied delegates at Genoa. In arguing
for the absence Of warships from the
Dardanelles he maintained this 9as A.
much to the interest Of Turkey 40 OF
The tits between Marquis Curzon
and Tchitcherin were frequent and
sharp, and seldom since the signing OF
the peace treaty have such bellleote
statements escaped the lips OF Euro'
pean statesmen as few back and forth
here to-day. II was one OF these which
brought from Curzon the remark that
the Allied warships IN the Dardanel'es
to-day represent very dehnite ise-
tor"
Asserting the present situation %
the Straits must give way 70 a speedy
permanent settlement, Tchiteherin re-
marked directly TO the British Foreign
Minister: "Tho position Of those
powers that to-day have troops and
warshlps az the straits is an untenable
one. The, nourish the hope that these
shlps and men remain there as per-
manent factor In the situation"
Threat Of Red Attack f>en
This was when Curzon getorted ee
hoped Il would be unneces5iry fof the
shlna and men 70 remain at the Dsr-
danelles much longer, but that just st
present they represent very DEN
mite factor"
Tchltcherin's references 20 the pres
enee Of these ships as representing an
auntenable position" is interpreted here
a. embodying a threat that failure %
the conference to reach solution Will
result IN attacks o. The small British
forces At Chanak and In the Bosporus
positions.
whether or not there Il Turkish
Russian agreement on this point. y
not known, but Il was significant that
Il was Immediately after this that
MARQUIS Curzon addressed himeelf 20
sharp interrogation Of the Turkish
attitude. Il.
Il would seem % indicate, he sal.
the latter was speaking for the Iurtr