Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-14
The Arn1isti;ce of Mudania

DANA by representatives Of the Turk
| ish Natonalists and the Allied Powers
relieves the Near Eastern problem Of its
Immediate stress and menace. But whether
or not the situation has been bettered in its
ultimate bearings is yet to appear. Fore
casts will have a firmer and broader basis
Of fact when the peace conference which is
expected to open at Scutari on November
has had it's day.
Meanwhile, hostilities are suspended upon
the agreement that Eastern Thrace shall be
restored to the Turks, with proper safe
guards for the Christian minorities, and
that the neutral zones Of the Dardanelles
and the Bosporus shall be evacuated by
Turkish troops. year or two ago these
conditions would have been considered, in
so far as they concern Thrace, an astonish-
ing surrender to the Kamalists. Among
the compensations expected and promised
for the World Wars heroic sacrifices was
the ending of Turkish rule and Turkish in
trigue in Europe; and if there had been
less of narrow nationalism and more CO.
working for the worlds common good from
the winter of 1918 EDWARDS. this hope would
have been fulfilled. AS it was, however,
the resumption of their old particularist
policies by-Powers that should have thought
in larger terms, gave the Turks, under
Kemals willy leadership, an opportunity
which they have not failed to use. A fort
night ago, when Britain stood alone in the
breach while there threatened a war whose
reaches and results none dared predict, the
situation was indeed alarming. Thus the
armistice of Mudania, read in the light of
what might have befallen, is not without
reinsurance.
Apparently the French support which the
Kemalists hitherto had received and upon
which they counted in making armistice
terms, was withdrawn, or much modified.
hot prif CHI lie
CURED unexpected weight. Ismet Pasha,
representative Of the Angora Government,
is reported as saying in an outburst of
disappointment, "But your new armistice
convention is contradiction of the assur-
ances' given to me by General Charpy (act-
ing for France). 1t was upon Frances
suggestion that our army ceased operations
against the Greeks, France promising US IA
vorable conditions" The reply of the Brit
ish spokesman was simply, General Charpy
has assented to the terms" And SO, it
seems have all the interested Powers. In
this aspect, at least, the situation is more
hopeful.
But in what particulars, it may be asked
were the terms disappointing to the<dlplo-
matists of Renal Pasha? In their pro-
visions for safeguarding Christian mlnorl-
ties in the territory to be restored to Tur-
key? Touching the Greek evacuation OF
Eastern Thrace it is stipulated that AS the
Greek authorities withdraw, the civil pow
ers will be handed over to the Allied au-
thorties who will transmit them to the
Turkish authorities on the same day.; anu
that "the civil authorities Of the Angora
Turkish Nationalist) Government shall be
ACCOMPANIED by such forces Of the National
ist gendarmare as are strictly necessary Tor
the maintenance of law, order ana local St.
curity. The total strength OF these OFFICERS
and men shall be left to the discretion OF
the Nationalist, subject to approval by the
A1lies.'' Irksome as such provisions may
be to the pride of the Kemalists and to the
habits of their soldiery, they will be exceed
ingly welcome, no doubt, to the non-Turklsh
inhabitants; as will also these further pre-
cautions: "The various operations in the
withdrawal of the Greek troops and the
transfer of the civil administration shall be
carried out under the direction OF lnter-Al-
lied missions. . In addition to these mis-
sions, Allied contingents shall occupy Eastern
Thrace. These contingents, amounting TO
about seven battalions, will insure the mann
tenance of law and order, and act IN support
of the inter-Allied missions" How d1sap-
pointing to Turkish troops accustomed TO
massacre without restraint!
While the armistice has given pause to
Near Eastern developments at a time When
they were rushing toward crisis, the many
sided problem remains to be solved. mat
will be the task Of the peace conference in
November, The permanent control of Thrace,
protection foY minorities in that region, and
the status of Constantinople will call for es-
pecial de1beration. There will be also the
question of Turkish disarmament, and per-
haps, too, Of indemnities and extra territorl-
atty. The participants are expected to be
Turkey, Greece Great Britain, France, Italy,
japan, Jugoslavia, and Rumania. Closely
connected with this conference, if not merged
with it, will be one, held at the same place
and time, to consider the naturalization and
policing of the Dardanelles and the Bosporus,
Shall the straits be supervised by a special
international commission, or through an
agency of the League of Nations? And shall
the freedom of it's waters be extended at all
times to warships as we'll as to merchantmen?
The League itself has brought these questions
forward, and is understood to have invited
to conference, in addition to the Powers
aforementioned, Georgia, Ukrania, Bulgaria.;
perhaps Hungary, CZecho-Slovakia and Aus
tria; and perhaps, too Poland. If there be
wisdom in multitude of counsel, these con-
ferences should lead to exceedingly wise con-
illusions. But if they are pitched upon no
higher ground than the trite jealousies and
suspicious and pettily selfish designs of the
past, then the Near Eastern problem will be-
come not less but more entangled, and more
dangerous to the peace Of the world.
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