New-York tribune., 1922-09-16
The Near East Crisis


Mustapha Kemal's victory has put
a new face on the Near Eastern stu
alton. Smyrna in flames is one
symptom. The gathering of Allied
forces along the Dardanelles and on
the Marmora front is another. A
new threat to European peace is to
be reckoned with. Kemal lifted a
conquered nation out of the dust.
He has restored the Turkish sol
disr'g confidence in himself and re-
kindled the enthusiasm of the Mos
lem world fer its fighting vanguard,
that remnant of the faithful which
so long. retained q political hold in
Europe and which by common con-
sent enjoyed the honor of perpetu-
ating the Caliphate. Can the re-
created Turk be kept an exile in
Asia?
Kemal began the work of regen-
Grating Turkey under discouraging
circumstances. The Caliph and his
government in Constantinople, under
pressure from the Allies, signed the
armistice and the crushing Treaty
of Sevres. The latter was a death
warrant to the old Turkish Empire
1t cut away all the Arab lands. It
freed Armenia, assigned western
Asia Minor and most of Thrace to
Greece and made Constantinople and
its environs an internationalized dis
trict. The Straits were to be neu-
tralized and stripped of fortihca-
tions. The Caliph was to become a
second prisoner of the Vatican"
Kernal refused to accept the treaty.
He gradually set up Nationalist
Turkish government at Angora. His
military resources were small. He
had to fight the Greeks, who, under
Venizelos, had engaged to execute
the Sevres compact for the major
Allies. In 1920 his forces were
driven back from the Smyrna dis
trict and the Straits region. He re-
conquered most of Armenia in Tur-
key, but on the west front was only
able to hold the line of the Constan-
tinople Bagdad Railroad, covering
central Anatolia.
Cut off from military supplies, the
Turkish Nationalist state would
probably have fallen early in 1921
had not the Greeks, in fit of pioue,
recalled their evil genius, Constan-
tine. The Allies would no longer in
trust him with the execution of the
Sevres treaty. Their boycott threw
life line to Kenlal. He felt that he
could whip Tino if the Allies held
OFF. Tino saw to it that they did
hold off. He defied their authority
and repudiated the revision of the
Sevres treaty which they sought to
force on him.
This revision conceded much 10
Angora. But Kemal could not re-
alize on these concessions until he
had settled with the Greeks. Last
year Constantine's bigger army
seemed twice to have him by the
throat. But each time the invader
was shaken off. Finally, this year
the Turks launched their resistless
march to the sea-"
The Nationalists are flushed witt
their almost unbelievable military
success. Kemal now asks for all Of
Asia Minor and most of Thrace
These were already assigned to hin
by the Allies. But he also asks fo,
Adrianople, an Ottoman ''holy city,
and for Constantinople, the ancient
seat Of Turkish temporal and spirit
ual power.
Constantinople is the only real
bone of contention. The Allies have
been occupying and administering it
1t is nominally internationalized, bus
practically British. Great Britain
aims 70 keep it denationalized
France is only partially with her in
this aim. With a view to conciliat.
ing their Moslem dependencies, the
French are willing eventually to rec
ognize Turkeys nationalist aspira-
tions, even to the point of readmit-
ting the new Turkish nation to its
former capital.
French and Italian policy in the
Ecar East 10 PRO Turkish and in con-
fiict with British policy. Great Brit
ain is trying to induce Rumania and
go-Slayia to oppose a restoration
Of .Adrianople and Constantinople.
II Kemal crosses the Dardanelles he
invites war with the Allies - GER
tainly war with Great Britain and
the Balkan powers which may be