Milford chronicle., 1922-10-13
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
UNSPEAKABLE CONDITIONS AND
THE "UNSPEAKABLE TURK"


What was that?" asked Uncle TED
as he came into the room.
Il was asking Ruth if she knew
what was meant by the Unspeakable
Turk Teacher was telling us some
thing about the trouble in the Near
q East in our Current History class to-
day."
THAT term" began Uncle Ted,
"came about because of the methods
used by the Turk in all the history of
his fighting. He has always been
known, whether right OF wrong, as a
blOodthirsty individual who knows no
law and resorts to the meanest
known tactics when he fights. The
world is once again face to face with
him and this time the situation is even
more serious because of the tremend-
Gus change due to the Great War. I
want to try and make one point in my
story to you tonight but to do that
must give you background of history
so that you can see what am trying
to point out
For more than 800 years the Turks
and the Russians have been fighting
each other. Turkish history is crowd
ed with war and the story is not
pleasant one. When the Great War
ended, nearly the whole world was
changed. COnstantinOple, the once
proud capital of Turkey, was left I'M
der Allied control, Jerusalem fell in
to the hands of the British. So long
as Turkey was surrounded by strong
er nations she necessarily was forced
to keep quiet and the danger of
Holy War was small. But today
Germany cannot be counted on. She
fought side by side WITH the Turks
during the Great War and even if she
wished to fight against her she is un-
able to render any assistance. Austria |
Hungary the strong wall against the |
Turks on one side is split into many /
small countries as a result of the war
and her strength is so distributed that |
it amounts to nothing. Russia, al
though with a big army, in fact the
larSest in the world today, is in no
position to act as wall on the other
side of Turkey. We might even see
her joining hands with her old enemy
if it could be for her own gain. She
has no love for the rest Of the world,
now having fallen into the hands Of
those who have turned her whole sys-
tenn of government up side down.
"a young, well-educated man, is
heading this new drive of the Turks.
His name is Mustapha Eemal and dur
ing the Great War he was only Cap
tain in the Turkish army under the
orders of a German general. He held
the line against the British at CALI
poli and when the battle was over
came out a General himself. Just as
the Turks recaptured COnstantinople
in 1853 they are still hoping to do it
today, and with Kemal as their lead
er they are not only hopeful but con-
fident of making their objective. No
matter what the result, today the en-
tire Near East is a boiling caldron of
trouble. We as Americans cannot re-
main entirely Indifferent to the situa-
ton"
But what should we do?" asked
Jack.
First of all, Jack, we must protect
American citizens. Today the Unit
ed States has a f1otilla of iestroyers
and supply ships in Turkish waters
TO protect Americans and American
interests. This is as it should be. Our
first duty is to protect our own peo-
Die and our own interests and at the {
same time to make our national re-
sources so secure that if it ever again
becomes necessary to go to war we
shall be ready. We must never again
waste human life and millions of dol 1
ars through being too blind to see
what is coming. That was the trouble !
With the Wilson administration. We
we're "too proud to fight and because
Mr.. Wilson said so he let us go to war
''I went to war, kiddies, and I don't {
ike it. It is horrible and I pray that :
We shall never again have to face it
,ut we must be prepared to the extent
If having that equipment necessary
O avoid the loss of life due to unpre-
,aredness. The followers of the world
.lub plan are busy today spreading
heir stories that if we had Joined
here would be no trouble in the Near
last today. That argument is foolish L
,ut there are those who will listen :
nd believe. If we had become mem :
ers of the world club and had taken !. :
mandate, or protectorate, over Ar 4
lenia, we would now be supplying
he young men and the money to y
ght the Turks. !,
1--WE know, as does every earnest r
nan at Washington from President !,
Iarding down, that our safety, and .
ur ability to aid the remainder of Il
ne world depends upon our continu- !,
lg the splendid international policy :,
D well started at the beginning OF the n
[arding Administration. We can see j,
o reason why we should shed the v
lood of America in, the Near East to n
ettle European quarrels but we can Il
ee a reason to protect Americans O.
nd their interests. This is being
one in dignified and proper way.
"Our foreign policy is right and his n
Try will show that it is. The admins
'ation is going slowly in reduction F
{ our armies and navy. Just because
e want to see an eventual end of war
no reason why we should commit
licide. We have proved through the je
nly sensible conference held, the one o
Washington last year, that we want
go into a sane understanding which al
i'll help along the road to peace. But
le world is not ready for it yet. We
My wish that were the case"
RADIOTORIAL SMILE SPARKS