Evening star., 1926-05-09
BY DIR. CALEB f. GATES.


president OF Robert College In ConstantlnopIe
r NDER the presidency of
MuStapha kemal Pasha, the
Republic of Turkey is unde-
~ niably making progress. The
changes which have been
made during the last few years are
astounding to those of us who have
lived long in Turkey.
The treaty now under consideration
Is a treaty to secure the rights OF
American citizens and to promote
American business, and not a treaty
for regulating the affairs OF other
people. The Americans engaged IN
business, in educational and mission
ary work in Turkey, ask for no other
protection than is accorded to all
American citizens. The continuance
of our educational work depends upon
convincing the Turks of its value to
them. The highest officials repeatedly
have testified that they value highly
the work which our institutions are
doing.
Just before l left Constantinople,
representatives of all American inter
eStS unanimously voted to send Il
statement to the Secretary of State
and to each Senator. asking for the
ratification of this treaty. Those who
are living and working in Turkey
would seem to be fitted to judge
whether the ratification of the treaty
is desirable from the standpoint Of
American interests.
Sees Good Will Lost.
Some persons seem to think that
the rejection of this treaty would only
mean that we should go on as at pres
ent. But they are ignorant of the
real conditions. If we refuse this
treaty, we fall back on the Treaty of
1894, which recognizes the capitula-
tionS The effect of this would be to
transform the good will of the Turks
for Americans into i'll will. and to pro
woke retaliation All the European
powers and Japan have conceded the
abolition OF the capitulationS, so that
they now are dead and cannot be re-
established. For us to claim that they
exist so far as Americans are con-
cerned, would be to put us in an i'm
possible position, and it is difficult for
us to see how we could extricate
ourselves from the dilemma.
There are two groups who would
reject this treaty with Turkey. The
first would not make any treaty at
all with Turkey, even If this should
neceSSitate the withdrawal of all
Americans from that country, and the
They desire to give full vent to their
resentment against the Turks, regard
less of consequences. 1t is impossible
. TO reason with this group. The second
group think that if this treaty were
rejected, it would then be possible to
make a better treaty with Turkey
which would contain the clauses which
they desire to insert. They would re-
ject this treaty in order to make a
better one. This idea is based upon
ignorance of actual conditions. If the
present treaty were rejected, it would
not be possible to make better one
for two reasons.
Holds Terms Are Best.
First. the Turks would be exasper-
ated by our rejection of this treaty,
and would he unwilling to grant Us
better ConditiOnS Secondly, the
Turks could not grant us better con-
ditions even if they wished to do so.
for the reason that all the other ma
tions who have concluded treaties
with Turkey on these terms would i'm
mediately claim the same treatment
that was accorded to us. This would
necessitate new negotiations with all
of these nations.
The treaty under consideration is
ideal, because it is the result of bal
ancing conflicting interests. But it is
a good treaty. It gives to Americans
all that is conceded to other peoples.
We hardly can cl aim more. And it
makes it possible for Americans to do
business and to carry on educational
and missionary work in Turkey. The
purpose Of this work is to produce
men with . better intellectual outlook
and purer moral purpose. who will
live and labor for the uplift of the
new Turkey.
BY JAMES w. GERARD,
Former American Ambassador to Germany.
Ratification of the Treaty of Lau-
same with Turkey is opposed by a
large number of distinguished Amer
leans of both political parties and of