The Caldwell tribune., 1922-09-26
OBSERVER GOES
IN I D HISTORY
OF NEAR EAST I
Turkish Problem of To-
day View in Light of
Century of Leading
Events.

The student of history is fascinat-
ed to watch the currents in national
life for a decade, half century, still
more of century While most Eng
lishmen and many Americans could
see but little beside blood and horror
(and there was a vast deal Of both)
in the French revolution of 1889, and
were similarly divided in sentiment
about Napoleon, yet now the student
sees clearly that the tragic events of
that time were the elimination of long
time preparations; the natural reaping
of abundant sowing; that the awful
ness of the French revolution was but
the explosion of the noxious gasses
generated by the tyrannical govern
ment and heartless nobility of France
for two hundred years.
If we apply this principle to modern
and current events it supplies food
for thought.
England feared Russia's designs on
her East Indian possessions, and
fought what is called the Crimean war,
supporting Turkey. Forty years al
forwards, when Russia went to the
assistance of the Christian Balkan
provinces against the oppressive Turks
and got within sight of Constantine
pie, England again interviewed and
patched UP a treaty which was like
healing sore, but leaving within all
the frey initiation Turkey was like
a sprawling lobster, sand steadily, time
after time, her claws and tentacles
were torn off; Greece, Roumania, Ser
bia, Bulgaria, Crete, Egypt and others;
but each time some other European
nation was ready to step in and try to
save her nationality; Germany in 1914,
and last year France in Cilicia. Nov
see how curiously things come around
about 1856 religious fanaticism brot
out at Damascus and in the Lebanon
against the Maronite Christians, nom
nal Catholics; the Pope asked Louis
Napoleon to go to their aid, which h
did; one of the best things he ever
did; but it gave him military foo
hold in Syria and from that time t
French government has claimed tn
Syria "was in her sphere of influ.
ence;;" and after the recent world wal
proceeded to spread her skirt over
surr ounding sections, east of the Jor.
dan in Syria, and north in the ole
Roman province of Celicia, where the
apostle Paul was born. This the ma.
tionalist Turks resented and fought
them until the Turks made them le
go and get out with some sort of ar
agreement which filled the Turks with
confidence.
Then look at Greece; hundred
years ago she struggled for freedom
from the Turks, in which struggl'
most of Europe and America sympr
thized Lord Byron and Mr.. Ward
husband of Julia Ward Howe, helping
in their war But the modern Greel
is far from being like the CLASSIC
Greek; a country of poor soil and ;
lteeming, turbulent population, setting
up and pulling down governments
two dynasties in Fifty years; Constan
tine, the present king, is the son of
Danish prince, who married siste
of Kaiser William, and was sfnittel
with a similar grasping ambition
wanted to join Germany in the woflt
war; was prevented and fled the coun
try; then Venizelos Cretan, undoubt
edly an able statesman, directed af
fairs; but when the armistice came tn
restless Greeks drove him away ant
invited King Constantine back; al
badly smitten with the land grabbing
mania, he and his government pro
ceeded to grasp more of Asia Minor
then their existing Sphere of influ
ence" around Smyrna.
Now what do we see? The Eng
lish have large populations of Moslem
in India and Egypt and must treat tn
Turk gently because of them; the Sui
tan of Turkey being looked up to a
the head of the Moslem world. Th,
French have somewhat tied their hand
treating with the Turks about the Mos
lens in their province of Celicia, tc
say nothing about the Moslems il
their provine OF Algeria and "thei
sphere of influence" in Morocco. Anc
the Greeks pushing into Asia Mino
and boasting of the purpose to pos
sess Constantinople, have aroused tn,
fanatical Turk to high pitch of fury
And the events Of the past week ar
a natural result OF the past moves ..
ttha Turk;eb TbarLor koe-l T.Sn :. .