The New York herald., 1922-10-07

special Gable to THE New York HERALD
Copyright, 1922, by THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
London, Oct. @.
Andrew Bonar Law, Unionist leader
in the House OF Commons, served notice
on France tonight that unless she lines
up with England in the Near East Eng
land viii follow the example of America
and will withdraw from European en-
tanglements.
Mr. Bonar Law, who is the putative
head of the largest single section of
British political opinion, wrote this in a
letter to the Times, which was circu-
lated in all the other papers.
The tone of the letter and the method
OF circulating it are plain indication
Of the British rage over the French ac-
tion in the Near East, and the fear as
to the consequence Is not a political
dodge of the Lloyd Georgian party. This
is especially clear when it Is remem-
bered that Lloyd George practically has
been sidetracked by the Cabinet. Lord
Curzon has been given full rein in con-
Quoting the pending negotiations.
Bonar Law may be considered to
speak for the coalition Cabinet repre-
senting the bulk of British opinion bet
ter than has been done for many
months. In the face Of mis- letter the
talk OF political defections In the Lloyd
George Cabinet has vanished and also
ha fal nf
Downing Street believes the situation
is highly critical and there is no doubt
that there was a call upon the patriot
ism of Bonar Law which evoked this
public declaration from a statesman
who has been in retirement for so
long 1t is significant that, while he
demands allied solidarity or British
isolation in the face of to-day's develop
ments. he refuses to criticize the Lloyd
Georgian tactics upon which some OPP
position elements have been blaming the
present predicament
Text of Bonar Laws Letter.
The full text of Bonar Laws letter
follows
II have followed with the greatest
anxiety the recent events in the Near
East and the position at this moment
seems to me very alarming. 1t would
serve no useful purpose to criticize or
even to consider the circumstances
which have led up to the present situa-
ton. What is alone important is to
find the right course of action to take
now.
when the Greek forces were anni-
hilated in Asia Minor and driven into
the sea at Smyrna, it seemed to be
certain that unless a decisive warning
had at once been issued to the Turk
forces, flushed with victory, they would
have attempted to enter Constantinople
and to cross into Thrace. II they had
been allowed to do So what would have
been the result?
'In the first place, our withdrawal
under such circumstances would have
been regarded thnoughout the whole
Mussulman world as n defeat for the
British Empire and although it may be
true that the supposed pro-Greek sym
pathies of the British Government alien
ated the Mussulman's feelings in India,
the danger of trouble in India from that
cause would be as nothing by compari-
son with the danger which would arise
as a consequence of what would have
been regarded as British impotence in
the face Of victorious Turk army.
Further, such an advance by TURK
forces would probably have meant n
repetition in Constantinople of the re-
cent events in Smyrna and would Ger
tainly have involved Thrace in horrors
similar to those which occurred IN
Anatola. with the probability-indeed.
think it a certainty-of renewal Of
war throughout the Balkans. 1t was
therefore, undoubtedly right that the
British Government should endeavor to
prevent these misfortunes