, 1923-01-06
SICK MAN OF
EUROPE NOW
ABOUT TO Die
BY J. w. T. MASON

N''AhhSh ~ Lut ODlIbu HIe9HJ
The Turkish Nationalist have been
defeated at Lausanne and the Sultan.
ate has been pushed one step further
back into Asia. Tho return OF the
Mussulmans to Europe is only a TEN.
porary arrangement. The dominant
fact Of Lausanne Is that the fleets OF
the Christian powers hence forth viii
control Constantinople for the first
time since the Turks captured the
city in 1853.
Constantinople's final by
C~hristendom is now only a question
of tine. Its future rule under the
Turks. with the guns of the western
powers dominating Its fortunes. will
become logically impossible. The
Turks VIII be forced to abandon Con
s~tantinople as their capital within
very measurable time. The small
Turkish garrison in the city would
be useless In cas- of war. The de-
cision to keep the Dardanelles and
the Bosphorus neutral and unarTned
make Constantinople an immediate
Picking in time of war.
The Turkish Nationalists, there.
fore. have not won their game against
the western nations. For the first
time since Turkeys power began 70
fall the west has been in unison
against the "Slck Man OF Europe"
Mustapha Kemal Pasha, despite his
defeat Of the Greeks. has not saved
Turkey from the resistlesr pressure
of progress. Already Mustapha and
the other Nationalist leaders are de.
claring their intention to move the
Turkish capital from Consantlnopie to
Angora. That Is the sign OF their de.
feat.
They realize no nation can consider
Itself self-sufficient whose capital can
not be defended. AnEora, 225 miles
eastward. in the interior Of Asia
Minor. would be safe from attack un
der all ordinary circumstances Of war.
fare. The Kemalista will have to nc.
cept that fact and move to Ansora, II
they are to maintain their present
prestige with their followers. It would
be intolerabie for the Turkish new
nationalist spirit to try to keep itself
alive In Constantinopie under the guns
of the Christian powers.
The Religious Issue.
But. Constantinop,e IS the very CEN
ter Of Mahomedan religious rule. The
prestige Of the Callph. the religious
head of all the Islamic countries. Is
bound UP with his residence in Con.
stantinople. If the Turks move their
capital to Angora. they will not be
compelled necessarily to take the cal.
iph with them. But they have re
Gently 'deposed the old sultan and
made their own figurehead, Abdul
MANIA aoIIAA 70 49, I--.~ A. +
Constaninopie. under the practical
control Of Christian warshlps. his au.
thority As tho ultimate authority of
the Mahomedan world will gravely SUI
fer. and the deposed sultan. now in
Egypt under British protection. MAJ
win back tho title of caliph, himself.
The other form Of the dilemma
would impale the caliph II he were
taken TO Angora. 1t is true he would
be beyond the range of naval guns,
but all the religious glory Of the Con-
st~antinopie environment would be
lost. In addition. Angora's W me.
diocrity as a capital city would have
Its inevitable effect on the non.rurk.
fish Mahomedans.
Tho FSver Of Turkey as the great.
est Mahomedan state would call for
derogatory comment among the fol.
lowers OF the Prophet. The contin.
uence Of the caiiphate under Turkish
control would certainly come in for
question. Beyond all else. IL would
be felt hat the Turks were retreat.
ing before Christianity back into the
interior of Asia, whence they original.
ly came.
These difffnultfea co~pfropttpo N,.
taphn Kemal Pasha, are among the
gravest Turkey ever has had to face.
There seems no way out. The come.
back OF the Turks is not destined TO
last.