The New York herald., 1922-09-21
The Near East Conference.

In their conference on the Near
East at Paris Lord CURzoN and Pre-
mier PoINcARE are in accord on the
freedom of the Turkish straits. That
the Dardanelles and the Bosporus
should be open to world commerce
is of material importance to both
France and Great Britain, and it is
not unexpected that among all the
points in this controversy they
should readily agree upon this one.
But what demands of KEMAL France
in her pacific policy" will insist upon
is not so clear. KEMAL's representa-
tive at Paris in his public state
ment demanded the occupation of
Constantinople, Adrianople and the
privilege of an immediate advance
into eastern Thrace. 1t was believed
at Paris that these demands might
be modified before they reached the
conference and in this way made ac
ceptable to the British.
The straits have been free for
years in times of peace. The Turk
seldom exercised the privilege which
4 he claimed of closing them to COM
merce even when he had the power
to do so. In war they were controlled
by the Powers which could fortify the
| Dardanelles. In the world war these
were Turkey and Germany, and they
held it against the British navy.
| These defenses were dismantled after
the war and to-day the Dardanelles
might be considered an open strait.
The fact that this mere absence OF
forts might be counterbalanced by a
navy great enough to guard the on
trance from the Egean Sea makes
the question still one for diplomats
to puzzle over. The composition OF
the commission at Constantinople or
Chanalx which is to administer the
territory is one of the matters to be
settled at the Paris conference. The
real purpose OF the conference, II 1t
is to be of benefit to humanity, lies
in the solution OF other more press
! ing problems OF the Near East
situation.
In, this present meeting France has
an advantage over Great Britain.
This she never before had at Near
East conference. She backed KEMAL,
the winner in the Greco-Turkish
strife. and she comes to the confer
ence with this prestige and the fact
that she has already valuable conces-
sions in Asia Minor. She has forced
her man, FREDERIC BoUmLoN. forward
as the allied representative to deal
with KEMkI-something which must
be particularly Objectionable to Lord
CuRzoN since he only recently Sc
verely scored BoUH.LoN for his un-
derhand methods in securing the An
CORA concessions. France is evidently
determined that she will carry as
many of her contentious as possible
and that Great Britain will not
strengthen her position in the Near
East by the present incident.
The danger in this conference Is
that in the effort to effect COM
promise acceptable to both nations
II will end in another temporary ex-
pedient. The world has seen too
fmany of these makeshift policies in
the past To this method of dealing
with the Near East are due the re-
sponsibilities of the present crisis.
Great Britain is not less desirous than
France of seeing peaceful solution
OF the question:. No nation in the
world to-day seeks war. But Great
Britain must see the utter futility of
policy which merely procrastinates
problem which must eventually be
decisively met IL permanent peace is
TO be secured.
when she made the definite stand