Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-08
KEMAL BREAKS LOOSE

HOWEVER little the Turks have con-
L / tributed to the cause Of education, it
may be said that they have never been back
ward in mastering the more questionable
points Of Western diplomacy. Among these
features the principle Of the accomplished
fact" occupies q conspicuous place.
accomplished facts" which the Kemal.
lists are plainly eager to present at Lau
same, are the overthrow Of the phantom
Sultan, the reconstruction Of the Caliphate
and Nationalist control Of Constantinople.
This Is formidable program which the
Angora Government is now boldly endeav.
oring to carry out at the expense Of plighted
faith and registered compacts.
Reports of n movement into the Chanak
region ominously imply that the Mudania
armistice agreement is being treated as a
worthless scrap Of paper. The insolent at
tempt to control the Dardanelles and to
dictate the movements of the allied and
American feet is an equally vivid index of
betrayal.
II is evident that the Eationalists are
still reckoning upon conflicts Of purposes
among the Allies by which Mustapha Kemal
has already profitcd so largely. The reck.
iessness with which the present upheaval at
Constantinople has been brought about lacks.
however, much Of the appeal whereby for
a time the. French republic became q part.
ner in the Turkish revival.
The interests Of all the major Powers, as
veil as the principles enuncinted BY Secre.
tary Hughes, are now endangered, and 1t 10
not unlikely that Kemal. infatuated by his
mast successes, has overplayed his hand.
The conference at Lausanne has been
nostponed obviously to enable the Powers to
apply drastic measures to situation which,
Il permitted to become stabilized, would
render the international conclave a mockery.
The absurdity Of calling a meeting to devise
some jurisdiction over the Straits, II the
Turks are allowed to decide the question for
themselves, 10 manifest.
Il IA announced from authoritative cir.
sles IN England that the British will not
toierste the suspension Of the military oc.
cupation Of Constnntinople. This attitude
has received official support in the formal
proclamation Of the Inter Allied Commits.
sionees in defense of the Mudania conven.
tion.
The assumption of firm stand on this
ubiect may cause the Kemalists to redraft
some Of their imperious orders. Turkish
understanding Of an impending blow is de-.
cidedly keener than Turkish appreciation OF
the validity OF a contract, unsupported by
force or the show Of 1t.
There would seem to be reasonable like.
lihood that the Nationalists have this time
soaded their opponents too far. Current
events in the Near East are possibly quite
as distas asteful to the French as to the Brit
ish, not long since their competitors in the
game for special privilege.
:. Moreover, the reconstruction Of the Call
phate may conceivably have the effect which
separation Of civil and spiritual authority
in high Office has almost invariably produced
throughout history. a Caliph who is the
puppet Of the Angora Assembly Il not likely
to enjoy the respect Of Moslems Of thu
Hedjaz, who have repeatedly insisted thai
none should hold religious supremacy save q
member of the tribe Of Koreish. stemminl
from the prophet himself.
| The hand OF Britain In the protectet
kingdom OF Irak should be strengthened b,
Arabic populations with scant respect fol
Ottoman political fats, and In India, th,
Mohammedan inhabitants are apt to b,
equally unsympsthetic.
For all his astuteness Ksmal gives th,
impression today of seeking to play to,
many cards at once.