The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-02-26
u.s.. Gets
Near East
Oil Rights
American Success in Obs
ing Concessions to Mes,sS .
gion to Result II = ~
provcment Prog
I. r. S Theory Borne Out
by GEORGE +. AUTHiER
" Washington Correspondent The Omabn Bee


Washington, Feb. 25. ~ Especially =
News dispatches reaching here from,
Europe disclose that regardless of the
bitter fight which has been made at
the Lausanne conference to read into
.he agreements reached recognition of
British rights 10 the development OF
the Mesopotamian oil fields. Ameri
can interests have succeeded In ac.
quiring this richest of modern prizes.
Not only have the Americans sue
oeeded in securing the concession for
the Mosul oil region, potentially the
richest in the world, but have con
tracted with the Turkish government
to rebuild its railways, complete the
Turkish portion of the famous Con
stantinople to Bagdad line which was
the dream of the Prussian war lords.
and plan TO construct an interior
capitol for Turkey. on the plans of
that at Washington.
The story reads like tale out Of
the Arabian Knights entertainments
and back of 1t Is the vivid and farsee-
ing Imagination Of former President
Roosevelt who initiated the scheme
which is now bearing fruit. Gen.
George w. Goothals is to be the en-
gineer in charge of the huge Turk
ish reconstruction program and asso'
ciated with him will be Kermit Roose-
welt. son Of the former president.
Roosevelt Vision Responsible.
The concessions which makes these
developments possible have been OBJ
tanned by Admiral Colby NJ. Chester
OF Washington. Admiral Chester. now
retired. was sent by former President
Roosevelt to Turkey for this very pur-
pose. remaining there for some time.
not even the Navy department having
knowledge Of wirat he was doing. The
based was granted in 1909. antedating
the British concession which has fur
nished the basis of the English con.
tention to exclusive privilege In Meso.
potamia by five years. The present
Turkish government has carefully re-
written the Chester concession, dating
it back to the time Of the original
concession.
Development of the American con-
cession explains the effort which the
British made Immediately after the
war to bar American participation Ia
Mesopotamian development.
The Chester concession is being
handled under the name of the otto
man-American Development company,
a holding concern for the Ottoman In
dustrial company and the Ottoman
American Petroleum company. Plans
are on foot now to reorganize these
concerns.
Connect Turkey and Persia.
II is proposed that this company
shall connect the principal cities OF
Turkey by rail. building about 1900
nils Of track. extending the line di-
reetly TO the Persian border. II is
expected the Persian government, IL II
can make the necessary arrangements
which involve another chapter of ori.
entail intrigue and world politics. viii
complete the line 10 Bagdad and across
to Persia.
The British claims to the Mosul
region are based ON concession
granted the Turkish Petroleum com
pany June 2s. 1914 This WAS granted
by the Turkish minister of finance.
backed by Enver Pashn, Talaat Pasha,
david Bey and others
The Turkish constitution provides
that parliament shall ratify any con
ccssions granted. The cry raised about
tho matter resulted in the departure
Of most Of the men interested for
foreign parts. Enver ls still fugi-
tive. In addition TO this fault 1t was
granted I'm the face OF the American
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