Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-10
By o

Copyright 1922, BY rhe Great Falls Tribune
Paris, Sept. 9.-The crushing of the
Greek armies by the Turkish national
lists opens new uncertainties In a
troubled world.
The oriental crisis enters a new
phase. What is happening is not a
conclusion. It is but a beginning.
Yet it all had to happen sooner or
later. For two years the allied gov
ernments have demonstrated their IN
ability to exercise political leadership
and re-establish peace. The only pos
sible solution, therefore, was by arms
King Constantine has lost, and his
unfortunate country, which saootageo
its victory in the world war, has only
itself to blame. A brother-ln-law or
the former Kaiser Wilhelm, Constan,
| tine, in going to war, merely contormed
to a family tradition.
1t is impossible at this time TO fore
see the consequences of Turkish VIC
! tory. Mustapha Renal Pasha, is must
be remembered, is an ally of the Rus
sian soviet. What will this alliance
mean in victory? What repercussions
NAV it have on the Mussulman coun-
tries? These questions must be asked,
but they cannot be answered now.
That Moratorium
Fortunately. in view of what IS
transferring in the east, European rela-
tions which seemed sliding to a catas-
trophe two weeks ago, have been some
what consolidated, even if the basis is
one of euuiyocation. Frances uncon-
ditional acceptance of the reparation
commissions sentence permitted this
temporary consolidation.
Germany has defused a moratorium
but granted a p~os,ponement of pay
ment. which means id~entically the same
thing. In other words, Germany was
granted in French what she was re
fused in Latin.
No guarantee has been furnished BY
Germany as to future performance
now new prospect of payment mas
been offered to the creditors. Both thu
nrobIem and the solution Of it simply
have been adjourned.
From the French viewpoint this
marks a step backward, for all of Poin
cares recent speeches created the ex
pectation that he would not consent tc
Ianother adjournment. The French par
lament convenes in another month. II
will meet in a spirit of ~disappoint
ment. Not that parliament advocates
n policy of force. which, moreover
Poincare never definitely %espoused, bui
it is generally thought that if his &C
~tivities were to end in the way they
did he ought to have refrained from
talking so much and in such trenchan'
tones beforehand. Also there are few
persons who see why be refused a.
London what he was going to accept
at Paris two weeks later. This con
trast between strong words and fulfil
acts unquestionably yhas weakened bi
parliamentary position.
Moreover. the epistsolary debate be
tween Poincare and Earl Balfour ha:
created an uneasy feeling both in Lon
don and in Paris. Englishmen mos
disapprove of Balfour's note anc
F~renchmen equally disapprove of Pom
cares. OF course, debate contracte'
among the allies in a mutually de
fensive war as well as Germany's debtt
arising from obligations to repair tn
ruins caused by her aggression.
BaIfour Note Figures
We think a lot of things about TIT
debts. but we fail to see the use o
Franco-British polemics so long a!
America does not participate. We ais
regret the bitterness thus stirred up.