The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1922-12-07
FEAR ALLIANCE
WITH ENEMY
OF CENTURIES
Russia Seekssto Capture Turk
And Prevent Agreement
With Entente
CURZON'S PLAN FAVORED
Old Diplomatic Scheme of
Temporizing Is Prac.
ticed by Pasha
.(Bv the Associated Press.)

Lausanne, Dec. THE Turkish
delegates to the Near East confer
ence today faced the difficult prob
lem of deciding whether Turkey in
formulating her plan for control OF
the Dardanelles had cast her lot
with Russia or with the entente
powers and the United States. Turk
ey's suggestion for the solution Of
the perplexing straits question will
be made public tomorrow at the
Hotel Du Chateau.
Ismet Pasha and his associates in
formulating their plans were faced
by the sharp differences in opinion
between Great Britain and Russia
in the discussion of the Dardanelles
question. If Turkey, on the one
hand, goes over to the British camp
she fears the irate Russian army
on her eastern frontier, if on the
other hand, she sides with Russia in
demanding complete control Of the
waterway she fears the British navy
is in the straits.
Turk Temporize
The Turks this far have temporiz-
ed by saying they favored M. Tchlt-
chcrin's plan. But they took this
attitude before the Y had heard the
solution offered by the powers. Is
met Pasha and his associates were
impressed by the plan presented by
Lord Curzon yesterday on behalf Of
the, entente, which was approved in
general by the statement of the
position of the United States. The
Turks apparently cannot forget that
Russia is Turkeys traditional
enemy and that Premier Lenine's
government may not be less covet-
Gus of Conatantinopfe and r7 tRe
straits than was Russia in the days.
of the Cars. .. d.
Turkey has always found protec-
tion in numbers. She has played the
European countries against each
other to her great advantage time
and again, and she hesitates to trust
her fate to Russia alone while the
rest of Europe, supported by the
United States opposes an effort to
turn the Black Sea into a Russian
lake.
Fighting Hard
M. Tchitcherin, fighting hard 70
defeat Lord Curzon's plans, urges
it would enable a combination Of
powers like the entente to keep
great navy in the Black Sea as each
member of the combination would
maintain there as many ships as be-
longed to Russia, or whatever Black
Sea power happened to have the
largest navy at the time.
Turkey, in considering Russia's
plan, apparently has an eye on her
own pocketbook. II she adopted NJ.
Tchitcherin's proposals, Turkey
would be forced to make great
outlay for a fleet and for fortifica-
tions, and as she has no money she
would prefer to have some one else
bear the expense of policing the
straits.
Possible Adjournment
There are many rumors of a pos
sble adjournment of the congress
for the Christmas holidays mas
much as the situation between the
powers and Turkey has cleared con-
siderably.
The question of capitulatons is
in an even worse tangle than the
straits problem, but Great Britain,
France and Italy are showing tact
in handling Turkeys sensitive at
titude toward her acceptance of
anything that would bring her sove-
reignity into question. Since the
Russian squall over the Dardanelles
has been weathered without dsast-
er, the prospects seem much bright
or for an agreement on principles
that will satisfy all parties.
The various sub b-commission's are
meeting daily to thresh out the de-
tails of the question on the agenda,
but the real work Of the conference
is largely accomplished in private
conversations among the leading
delegates.