Evening star., 1923-07-22
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
A T last the question of naviga-
~ ton of the Straits of the Dar
~ denelles and the Bosporus, II
is reported, has been settled.
If the peace treaty negotiated be-
tween the allied nations and the
Turks at Lausanne has had this re-
suit, it will go far, it is believed here,
to assure peace in the future. In fact,
the settlement of this question has
been regarded as essential to any per-
manent peace plan for the near east.
The freedom of the straits and ad-
jacent waters for the commerce of the
world, and for the warships of the
nations-with certain restrictions, it
is understood Shas been accomplished.
Under the new treaty-the complete
text of which is still to be published
here-the Turks have regained con-
siderable of the ground lost by them
at the close of the war. Their diplo-
matte victories have been no less than
their victories over the Greeks before
the armistice of Mudania was signed
| last fall. In the treaty of Sevres, ne
gotiated between the allied nations
and the old Turkish government. but
never ratified. the Turks, it is true.
retained Constantinople. But the new
Turkish border on the west practically
ended with Constantinople area. This
| left Greece in a dominating position
| with regard to the city.
Buffer Zone Planned.
| Under the new border line now es-
tablished the Turks hold large area.
| including Adrianople-a kind of buffer
| territory as a protection to Constan-
tinople. Arrangements have been
perfected, 1t is understood, for a neu-
| trail zone along the line between
Greece and Turkish territory some
twenty miles wide. in which there are
| to be no Notifications and no troops
maintained by either nation.
| The Turks have held Constantine
pie since 1853. II was an imperial
city and commercial center for ages
before the Turks occupied it. In
| more recent years the powers of
Europe have been unwilling to have
the city fall into other hands-eX-
cept during the period of the world
war-on the theory that the posses
sion of that great center by Russia,
for example, would -unbalance the
whole European scheme. 1t is true
that it was reported the allies dur
ing the war had a tentative agree
ment that in the dismemberment of
hat
was to follow the termination of war;
Russia was to be awarded the city
of Constantinople. But that was be-
fore the revolution in Russia and its
detection from the cause of the al
lies.
Is Easily Defended.
Constantinople is so located that il
can be defended against naval at
tack only by fortification of its ap-
proaches through the Dardenelles and
the Bosporus. How we'll it can be
defended, however, was proved dur
ing the world war. The safety of the
city-which is the capital OF Turkey
and also the seat of the Caliphate-
is closely bound up with the question
of the navigation of the straits of the
Dardanelles and the Bosporus. These
straits provide the only outlet by wa
ter of Rumania and Bulgaria, and
the only outlet by sea for Russia ex-
cept that on the north, which is close
bound by ice during part Of the year.
They are the channels through
which a vast amount of trade passes
between the west and the east. The
necessity for the settlement of the
question of the navigation of the
straits was recognized by President
Wilson in the twelfth of the famous
fourteen points which he communi
Gated to the allies and the enemy on
which he believed a final peace set
tlement should be based. He said in
this point -:
The Turkish portion of the pres
ent Ottoman empire should be as
sured secure sovereignty, but other
nationalities which are now under
Turkish rule should be assured of an
undoubted security of life and an
absolutely unmolested opportunity of
autonomous development, and the
Dardanelles should be permanently
opened as a free passage to the ships
of commerce of all nations under in
ternational guarantees"
United States interests Large.
1t is a long cry from the United
States to Constantinople and the
Dardanelles. But existing and pro-
spectiye American interests in the
near east and the middle east have
made the equitable solution of the
lproblem of the navigation of the
lDardenelles of no inconsiderable in
terest here. American capital is con-
stantly seeking new fields. The So
called Chester concessions which now
have been recognized by the new
Turkish government are vast.
The oil fields in part of Turkish
territory and in Mesopotamia also
are vast and it is the policy of this
government to see that an open
door" with opportunity for Ameri-
cans as we'll as other nationals, be
maintained in these areas. In the
early days. when the Turks took
iConstantinople. they took practically
all the territory bordering on the
straits and the Black sea. These
waters were, therefore, within the
Ottoman empire and the Turks set
up an absolute control over the navi-
cation of these waters. 1t became
known as the ancient rule of the
Ottoman empire" Any navigation
| tn