The Washington times., 1923-02-10
FOR OIL
CRUX Of WAR
DANCER
Failure of Lausanne Due to
AngIo-French Disagree
ment Over Fields.
BY TARANATH DAS.
Noted Authority ON world Politics.

BY TARANATH DAS,
Noted Authority on World Politics.
The failure of the Lausanne con-
ference, which is threatening an
other world war, is due primarily
to Anglo-French disagreement in
world policies. There is not the
least doubt that the Turkish dele
cation was encouraged by the
French attitude of negotiating a
separate treaty with Turkey in case
Of the failure of the conference.
This is due to French distrust to
all British policies governing the
Near East. In the King Crane re-
port on the Near East the French
attitude has been summarized in
the following way:
They French) feel that Britain
has been unable to resist the de-
sire to connect Egypt with Mesopo-
tamia under one control as bull
wark Of India and as q new field
for profitable commercial exploita-
tion.''
Italy agrees to this view Of the
French, and thus the Lausanne con-
ference was really a conference in
which British supremacy in the
Near East was at stake. The Turks,
according to all reports, agreed to
80 per cent of the draft treaty
handed out by Lord Curzon, but
refused to accept the solution Of
the question of Mosul and certain
points OF capitulations which would
undermine Turkish sovereignty. The
question of capitulation might have
been solved, but the question Of
Mosul, rather the question of oil
in Mosul, which the British wanted
to have the exclusive possession of,
wrecked the conference.
Out for Oil Control.
Lord Curzon, the present Brit
ish foreign minister, is not only
an avowed upholder OF the policy
of making the Middle East-the
region between Egypt and India
as a part of the British Empire,
but he is for the control of the
oil resources of the world for the
British Empire. He looks upon the
question of the control of Oil re-
sources Of the world as essential for
the preservation of the British En-
pire. Britain today controls two
thirds Of the improved oil fields of
Central and South America and
most of the concessions; she has
two-thirds Of the holdings in the
Caribbean, and owns or controls in
terests in every oil field on the five
continents and islands Of the seas"
Lord CurZon knows the value Of
this oil control, and just after the
conclusion Of the world war said:
Without oil how could we have
procured the mobility of the fleet.
the transport of our troops, or the
manufacture Of several explosives?
How could we have carried out the
necessary transport Of men and am
munition to the various theaters of
war? All the products Of oil, gas
oil, aviation spirit, motor transport
spirit, lubricating oil, etc., played
an equally important part in the
war; in fact I might say that the
allies floated to victory on a wave
of OIL
May Have to Wait.
British statesmen and Oil mag
mates want to rot the control of
the oil of the world not only to pre-
serve British supremacy in world
affairs, but to achieve financial as
Macay Edgar, Bart, recently re-
marked:
I'VE shall have to wait a few
years before the full advantage of
the situation shall begin to be
reaped, but the harvest eventually
will be a great one there can be no
manner of doubt. To the tune of
many millions Of pounds a year,
America before long will have to
purchase from British and to pay
for, in dollar currency in progress
slVely increasing proportion, the oil
she cannot go without and is no
longer able to furnish from her own
store. L estimate that If their pres
ent curve of consumption, especially
OF high-grade products, is main
tanned, Americans in ten years will
be under the necessity of importing
500 million barrels of oil yearly at
81 barrel-a very low figure-and
that means an annual payment of
1000. 100000, most, If not all, of
which will find it's way into Brit.
ish pockets"
This is one of the reasons Mr..
Child, according to the instructions
of the State Department, insisted
upon the policy Of open door so far
as the Near East is concerned.
open Door All Over the World" is
the American economic policy.
Mosul Oil fields are rich and the
turks refuse to hand them over to
the British, according to the man
dates OF the League Of Nations; and
IN this matter French and Italians
are glad so that all the oil of MosuI
will not be under the control of
Britain IL Turkey can retain posses
sion of them.
Whereas the coal and iron of the
Ruhr is the objective of the French,
the oil of Mosul has been the obiec.
tive of the British. This policy of
control of raw materials is the bone
Of contention and the prime cause
of future wars. Rivalry het
France and Britain has made it pos
sible for the Turks to defy the
allies in the Lausanne conference,
and the world is being threatened
with the possibility of another world
war.
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