The Washington times., 1923-02-08
ASIA OIL RIGHTS
ARE Demanded
BY HUGHES
Vigorous Insistence Upon
Open Door, Intended 70
Protect interests.

ii
waters il the way the cynical d.
plomat diagnosed the Lausanne con.
terence situation when the states
men gathered there were ct the
height Of their difficulties over the
question OF Mesopotania
Certainly, from the point Of view
of the American Government ut
least, petroleum was among the
most important OF AL the matters
discussed there. Secretary Of State
Hughes is on record as favoring the
freedom Of the. Straits. protection
of racial and religious rninorities in
turkey. and preservation OF Arneri-
can rights under the so-cailed capi-
tulati0ns.
But he II, just as strongly on rec
ord for the maintenance Of the open
door, or equal opportunity TOR Amer
lean capital in the development OF
the natural resources Of former
Turkish territory.
American BOmbsl1eII.
Ambassador child, the American
observer at Lausanne, threw q
b0mbshelI into the conference when
he stated Americas attitude to-
ward Mosul, the rich oil region OF
Mesopotan1ia
For more than three years the
United States has been wagfng q
fight against European diplomacy
for the right to participate In the
development OF the Mesopo tan1ian
fields.
1t began during the regime Of
President Wilson, when Secretary
Of State cambridge Colby INDUCED
In some rather heated exchanges
with Lord Curzon, British foreign
secretary, regarding the principle
rot the open door az applied to Brit
ish inundated territory in Asia
Minor.
American connection with the oil
fields Of Asia Minor goes back even
further. however.
In 1899 Rear Admiral Chester. y. s.
NJ, was seat to Constantinople IN
command Of the battleship Ken.
lucky to demand compensation for
property Of American missionaries
which had been destroyed In the
Armenian massacEes OF 1896.
On his return TOT America he in
terested certain American financiers
In the possibility Of obtaining con
cessiOns from Turkey. Going back
to Constantinople as the agent of q
powerful group, he obtained prom
ises for extensive railway and min.
ing privileges in Asia Minor, and the
right to prospect for oil in Armenia
and Mesopotamia.
The fall Of Abdu Hainid in 1909
interrupted the negotiations, and the
Chester interests have since expert.
eIced difficulty In establishing their
claims.
German Hope Tl1warted. ],
Then came the discovery by the
Germans Of oil In paying quantities
near Mosul. They reported the dis
coyery to Berlin, 1T ID alleged, but
concealed 1t from the Porte, and
the deception being discovered their
hopes of concessions were blasted.
Later, however, German and Brit.
ish groups, with the support Of their
governments, began negotiations,
and In 1913 came to some sort OF a
tentative understanding with the
Porte.
The chief, argument advanced. by
Lord Curzon against the American
claim for participation In the de-
velopment of the Mes0potamian oil
fields was based upon the alleged
concessions OF this Turkish petro-
leum company, the validity of
which have been consistently dispu-
ted by the American Government.
At the San Reno conferences In
1921 the German shares were as
signed to the French government.
Whether it has held them or dis
posed of them to French investors
Is not known. Immediately upon
the announcement OF the partition
of the oil rights of Mesopotamia
the American Government entered
a vigorous protest, urging that al
though the United States had not
been at war with Turkey, America
had contributed to the common VIC
tory over the Central Powers and
the United States therefore was en-
titled to IAN esual oportunity" in
the development of inundated terri
tories, coded by Turkey.
When Hughes assumed office he
insisted on the open door principle
with the utmost vigor, and after
some delay secured an agreement
in principle" from the British. 1t
is understood that there now exists
no. serious differences of opinion be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain on the subject.