Evening star., 1939-05-14
Admiral Bristo|'s 5
Rites Tomorrow
In Arlington
Naval Officer and
Diplomat Was II;
Retired in 1882

With military honors, Admiral
his accomplishments as naval Of
ficer and diplomat, will be buried
tomorrow in Arlington National
, Cemetery after funeral services at
pm. in the Fort Myer Chapel.
He died early yesterday at Naval
Hospital.
Three weeks ago Admiral Bris-
tol, who lived at 1921 Massachusetts
avenue NV, and who retired from
the Navy May l, 1882, after a long
career, underwent an operation at
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Balti-
more. Apparently recovering, he
sought further treatment at Naval
Hospital Monday.
Admiral Bristol was genius at
foresight. He was among the first
men in the Navy who urged a
strong aviation branch for that arm
OF our defense. And he was among
the first diplomats in postwar Con-
stantinople who understood the true
significance of Mustapha Kemal
Ataturk. When others were call
ing Ataturk "brigand leader" Ad-
miral Bristol already was confident
he was just statesman.
' Met Ataturk After War.
The admiral met Ataturk short
lv after the World War, when, fol-
lowing brilliant war service, he
was borrowed from the Navy De-
partment in 1919 by President Will
son and sent to Turkey first as a
member of the International Com
mission of Inquiry into the Greek
occupation of Smyrna and then as
high commissioner. His Turkish ex-
perience was the highlight of his
career
Constantinople, newly conquered
by the allies, in 1919, was a city
, of intrigue. The allies had a plan
to give the United States the man.
date over Armenia, new republic.
To make this unpleasant interna-
tional duty agreeable, the allies
further proposed, informally, that
the United States assume control
over the important center of Con-
stantinople
Friend of Chang.
President Coolidge chose Admiral
Bristol for the Asiatic duty on the
basis Of his diplomatic reports from
Turkey. In China the admiral met
the leader of another goth century
nationalist movement-Chiang Kali
- shek. The admiral understood the
Chinese and his purpose. The two
became fast friends.
Admiral Bristol suggested that
the United States practice a strict
policy OF non-intervention with re-
gard to China, but he urged that we
actively assist the Chinese in their
efforts to modernize their country
and their economy. The result of
the Bristol policy was that the
officers on our warships on the
Yangstze River and other Chinese
waters devoted their efforts to fos-
tering cordial American Chinese re-
lations rather than to rebuking
Chinese officials when disturbances
broke out which the officials could
not control.
Mark Bristol was born April /,
1868, in Glassboro, N. J. He was
graduated from the Naval Academy
IN 1887. He participated in the
battle of Santiago in 1898 aboard
the U. S. S. Texas. From 1918 to
1916 he was in charge of aeronau-
tical development for the NAVY.
During the World War he COM
manded successfully the U. S. S.
North Carolina and the Oklahoma
and the United States naval base
at Plymouth, England
Delegate to Lausanne
For meritorious service aboard the
Oklahoma he won the DISTINGUISHED
Service Medal. At the wars close
; he had his formal introduction to
diplomacy. He was member of the
International Armistics Commission
in Belgium in November, 1918, and
IN 1919 he went to Turkey. From
1922 to 1923 he was an American
delegate to the Lausanne Confer
ence
After a few months spent in in
tense study of the complex political
and racial problems of the Near
East, High Commissioner Bristol
announced his strong opposition to
mandating Armenia to this country
Great pressure was put on him to
accede to the Armenian plan but he
reported to the State Department
his view that our best policy would
be to keep ourselves aloof from
Near Eastern affairs.
Relations Excellent.
From the very beginning of the
activities of the Turkish nationalist
movement in Asia Minor after the
war, Admiral Bristol was cordial to
It's leader, Ataturk, whose war
against the Greeks aroused the hos
tility of the most foreign diplomats
In Constantinople. The admiral re-
ported to the State Department
that Ataturk was bound to win
dominance in Turkey, since his re-
bellion was based on justice.
When Ataturk became the ruler
OF the New Turkey in 1923 he never
forgot Commissioner Bristol's friend
ship. Turkeys relations with the
United States were excellent when
Turkey regarded the rest of the
world with suspicion.
A high point in Commissioner
Brlstols tour in Turkey was his
quick action at the time of the
Smyrna fire in September, 1923. He
had three American destroyers in
, the burning city's harbor to lend aid
to the distressed population. 1t en-
hanced the Americans popularity
with the Turks.
A further opportunity to practice
his diplomacy was offered Admiral
Pristol after he had been commits
sioner eight years. In 1927 he was
ordered to the command of the
Navys Asiatic Squadron-a post re-
quiring skill in dealing with sover-
ANY MAKE