Evening star., 1923-12-14

One OF the most important treaties
to be considered by the Senate at
an early date Is that which has been
negotiated with Turkey.
This treaty does not meet with
universal approval. but it is claimed
at the State Department that since
the allies, no better conditions could
be insisted upon by this country, and
1t Is highly important that we re-
establish diplomatic relations and
maintain an embassy and consular
service throughout the country.
The American objections to the
treaty pending apply mainly to the
omission of the capitulations made
ing the last century and which are
| held to be essential to American
these capitulations was the right of
Americans accused OF crime or Of
fense Of any kind to be tried before
the American minister or an Ameri-
can consul and to be exempt from
arrest by Turkish officials. These
concessions date from the treaty of
1880, reconfirmed in 1888 and 1862.
but abrogated by Turkey when she
entered the world war. They had
been conceded not only to the United
States, but to all other countries nder
the treaty clause: "The most fSsored
nation"
A petition to the Senate from "one
hundred and ten citizens" headed as
chairman by James w. Gerard. for
mer ambassador to Germany. appeals
to the Senate not to ratify the treaty
on the ground that 1t "surrenders the
legitimate and essential rights and
interests of America in Turkey and
nullifies President Hardtng's pledge
to Armenia" and that rejection by
the Senate could not prejudice what
little interest America now has in
Turkey. On the contrary, IL would
compel that country TO prove as
much by acts as by promises. it's
lily of nations"
The giving of the former capitula-
tions by Turkey is held to be con-
fession either that she was not with
in the pale of civilized nations or
else was cowed by the demands of
Europe and America. By her history
of savage atrocities, 1t is claimed. she
has not demonstrated that she could
nations. Perhaps. as suggested at
the State Department, she would
have defied such judgment. II she had
not been located between the jaws OF
civilization. represented by then pow
erful Russia on the north. eager to
close down upon .Constantinople, and
the more powerful Britain on the
south, by reason of British interests
in India and Egypt. Turkey well
knew, IT was said. that she could not
resist the dictation of Great Britain
and Russia, even though she allied
herself with Germany, which longed
for a trade route-perhaps also for
military purposeS-to the@ far east,
threatening India.
BY the Versailles peace treaty Tin
which Turkey had no part) most of
her European possessions were taken
from her by the allies. The Sevres
treaty of August, 1920 (Which failed
Of ratification by Turkey, gave back
to her a part of Thrace and certain
other territory. Later, new negotia-
tions were entered into at Lausanne
between the allies and Turkey, to re-
wise the rejected Sevres treaty. Upon
invitation from France. Great Britain
and Italy, the United States sent to
sisting of Richard Washburn Child,
American ambassador at Rome: Rear
Admiral Mark L. Bristol. high COM
missioner at Constantinople, and Jo-
seph c. Grew, American minister at
Bern.
x \ X
As the Lausanne conference was to
negotiate a treaty of peace between
the allies and Turkey. and we had