Evening star., 1923-04-01
BONAR LAW is FACING
SHOWDOWN ON RUHR
Tides Against Premier's Policy of Inac'
ton Crow-May Wait ON
Turk Settlement.

as permitting general european
economic advance. Bonar Law is
loath to antagonize the French, but
with the belief constantly spreading
In England that the French are en-
deavoring to build up and perpetuate
territorial. political and military su-
premacy on the continent, suspicion
OF French purposes in the Rhineland
and the Ruhr grows apace. Even the
many friends of France in England
nave rallied in stemmming the anti
french sentiment. Bonar Law, 1t Is
declared with certainty, cannot long
withstand the pressure being brought
to bear. If his recent illness should
force the premier to retire from his
position and Lord Curzon should as
sumo the retns of government. or the
Law regime should be overthrown
and the laboriteS assume control. the
answer will be the same-England
VIII take open steps to end the Ruhr
deadlock whether Poincare likes It or
not The feeling grows that England,
TO her disadvantage, has temporized
too much with the French policies
and that with a show of firmness
there VIII come settlement.
Turk Iasue Must BE Settled.
Bonar Law may be more farseeing
than his political enemies give him
credit. With the Turkish issues still
hanging fire 1t is but natural that
England should not incur the enmity
of more than one nation at a time.
The new Lausanne parley will meet
early in April and then the Turkish
counter proposals will be thrashed out
with view of finally settling the
Near Eastern questions. If the allies
succeed in impressing their economic
! and financial capitulations on the
Turks and settle the hundred and one
vexatious problems attached thereto,
then there will come stronger
British policy in regard to strictly
continental matters.
There has been indication on the
part of the allied governments that
they regard the Near Eastern ques-
tion as already solved and the Turks
signatures already placed upon the
dotted line, but as a matter Of fact
much more water must pass under
| the diplomatic bridge before settle
ment VIII have been reached.
AngOra Concerned.
Though the Angora assembly has
tacitly accepted those sttpulations In
regard to the future of the Darda-
nelles and the Straits. 1t nevertheless
is a fact that allied rejection of
Turkish counter proposals in regard
to economic and financial matters has
caused some concern in Angora. 1t
is expected that when Ismet Pasha and
other delegates go to Lausanne to re-
sume deliberations with the allies
they will carry very definite instruc-
tionS to hold out to the last for those
clauses which Mustapha Kemal deems
essential to the perpetuation and
honor of a strictly Turkish state
So emphatic are the Turks that
their nation escape cxactions of for
etEn power in regard to economic
and financial capitulations. tacit
warning has been sounded by Musta-
pha Kemal. he declaring the Turks
still have it within their power TO
fight and must be reckoned with If
the allies ride rough-shod over Turk
tsh national sentiment However, the
threat Of warfare now Is discounted
by allied negotiators and those know
ing the Turkish desire TO settle down
to order and progress.
Russians May Have Say.
Owing to the Russian influence
among the delegates in the Angora
assembly there is every reason to
believe that the Russians vet will
take some active move to prevent
complete acceptance by the Turks OF
allied stfpulations. The Russians
have been fostering the spirit of re-
siatance i'll the Turkish breast and.
in fact. have increased their efforts
looking toward undermining British
Influence in India. ENJOYS of the
Indian revolutionary parties have
reached Angora and are declared to
have promised a general strike In
India IN case of conflict with the
Turks. In fact are ready to send a
division Of Indian troops to help fight
against England. Though this in
f1uence may be discounted in some
quarters. 1t nevertheless probably has
weighed largely in Bonar Laws
framing Of general policies.
1t is generally believed that If the
Germans work out a fair and square
financial program looking toward the
liquidation of the reparations debt.
give guarantees for Frances future
safety and then present them to
France France will not refuse to
negotiate If England insists that
ther shall be negotiation. Frances
position probably Is stronger on the
continent than any other power. but
france could not afford under such
circumstances to fly in the face of the
PUBLIC opinion of the world which
would be against her in case she
spurns definite offers