Evening star., 1923-04-22
CHESTER DEF|ES
OIL GRANT FOES
Turkish Government Support
Gives Him Confidence,
t. Says Admiral.

NEW YORK, April 21.-"All comers."
American as well as British or French
were defied by Rear Admiral Chester.
L. S. N, retired, holder of the famous
$1,000. 600. 600 Chester oil concession
in Anatolia, in an address last night
before the Federated Chambers of
Commerce in the Near East.
THE Turkish government is behind
the Chester project" he declared to
his audience of big business men and
international bankers. There we
stand, and on that we will fight it out
against all comers.'
Has Opposition Here.
This assertion followed his intima-
ton that not only British and French
concerns were Interested in hamper
ing the successful operation OF the
Chester concession. but that certain
American interests" were strongly in
opposition. 1t was Admiral Chesters
first public address since the valida-
tion of his project.
DIR. Abrahim Fouad Bey. on spe-
cial mission to this country Tor Tur-
key. another speaker. declared that
Turkey was satisfied that the venture
would involve no political conSe-
QuenceS
Admiral Chester sa id that he would
attempt at once to persuade the
American government to forego its
capitulation privileges in Turkey.
The new Turkish national govern
ment realizes that foreign co-opera-
tion is needed to aid Turkeys future
economical reconstruction, DIR. Fouad
said.
Welcome L. s. Capital.
"Foreign capital is welcomed in
Turkey" he asserted, provided that
1t does not follow political ambi-
tiona and imDerialistic aims. Be-
lieving that American commerce
usually goes into a country with
clean hands and that Americans are
not interested in territorial aggres-
sion, we are favorably inclined to
welcome the cooperation of Amer
lean capital.
I'VE believe that this concession
will open a liberal market for Amer
lean capital in Asia Minor. 1t is GER
tain that American capital VIII come
to Turkey only for business purposes
and will not leave involved in pelit
cal combinations"
Admiral Chester declared that Brit
ish influences had caused the delay in
granting him the concessions which
he had sought for fifteen years. Every
obstacle had been thrown in his way.
he declared, by spheres of influence
which We're frantically attempting to
prevent Americas entry into COM
mercial relations with the near east.
British OverruIe Envoy.
"ln the closing days of the war"
he says. the Navy Department urged
me to complete the negotiations. as
an oil shortage threatened all our
fleets The British ambassador as
Sured me there would be no objec-
tion by his government. but he was
overruled. Do YOU wonder why? Be
cause there is billion dollars worth
of oil in Anatolia.''
American capitalists. he said had
questioned the advisabilty of the
Turkish government in giving him
the concessions i'm that they were not
behind the deal. But the Turkish
government is behind me and that is
all I require said the admiral
You may not know it, but for a
score OF years the United States gov
ernment has been trying to get into
the back door of Asia and it's the
back door because these spheres of
influences have barred the front door
to u.s." he said.
THE United States has proved the
true friend of Turkey. and I point
with pride to the aid we have given
their civilization through the eight
American universities and 400 Ameri-
can schools in Anatolia.'