The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-04-17
us. S.toHold
Oil Rights
in Angora
England and France Must
Fight to Upset Concessions
Recently Granted, Adj
miral Chester Says.
Sees No Cause for Worry
Copyright. 1923.
By Universal Service.


Washington. April 16.-If England
or France wants to upset the oil con-
cessions recently granted Americans
by the Angora assembly. they will
have to fight for them. Neither can
afford to fight, or wants to fight. The
Turkish oil situation will come up at
the Lausanne conference a week from
today. but the traditional exploiters
will not be able to shake the Turco-
American stand.
Further, American will not get a
penny OF war debts from any Euro
pean nation, and must take oil in
stead.
These points comprised the sub
stance Of an exclusive interview given
today by Admiral Colby NJ. Chester,
L. S. N. retired, at his home here.
Admiral Chester has been working Is
years to obtain the concessions just
granted by-the Angora government.
No Cause to Worry.
Why should I attend the new con-
ference at Lausanne. aueried Ches-
ter. There is nothing further to be
gained. 1 and my associates have
been granted the oil and railway con-
eessions, and we feel just as safe to
remain elsewhere. BY no possible
trick or threat can England or France
upset the situation. They are pow
erless. All they can do is to protest.
Winston Churchill fell as British
prime minister because of his blum
ders in fighting for bill. Another
British cabinet fell the same way.
Bonar Law was wise enough TO stay
out of Turkey. and I believe British
public opinion will unhorse any min
istry that tries TO 60 back In.
In 1920 Franklin Boulllon wrote
treaty for France and asked Musta-
pha kemal to sign 1t. Pasha tore the
treaty in half and threw the pieces
away This would have given France
rights in the vast copper mines at
Argana All the treaties the French
and the British have made have been
torn up-notably the Seyres and San
Reno instruments. They have not a
leg left to stand upon. On the other
band, the concessions granted the OF
foman- American Development COM
pdny are unasSdlldDle.
Confident Of Support.
Admiral Chester asserted that while
he had no authority to speak for the
state department, he would stake
his life" that 1t would back up the
American interests to the limit in
their fight for an entrance through the
open door" He continued: =
I'VE are in Turkey TO stay. Great
Britain and France would not let ns
through the front door. so we have
effected an entrance through the rear.
The door will stay open for all time.
The world may as well become recon
ciled TO giving us part Of its oil. In
our country we have not enough. yet
our automobiles and machines are
multiplying so fast that we face a
fatal shortage. Our commercial life
depends on an adequate supply OF oil.
II We do. not quickly get large impor-
tations of oil, we must either stop the
automobiles or tie Up the navy TO stay.
The American public does not
know that the kurds have driven the
British out Of Kurdistan and back TO
The Tigris river in four different up
risings in the last three months. There
he British have taken refuge under
the guns OF warships which came UP
from the Persian gulA The British
and the Turks have been fighting
three years since the armistice. but
censored articles are not allowed to
tell the ruth Of II. Counting the
world war. Great Britain has sacri-
feed 100000 men in its determination
to- monopolize Turkish oil"