Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-15
Russo-T ufkish Situation
To Test Big Three Farley
Truman May Be Called Upon to Act as Concator
Between Opposing Views of London
and Moscow Over Middle East
BY Constantine Broom

DV u OUSL
Before leaving Washington for the
Big Three conference, President Truman
discussed with some of his former COL
leagues in the Senate all the subjects
which will be presented to him at Pots
dam.
AS has been his custom, since he be-
came Senator and more recently, Pres
ident, Mr.. Truman conferred with those
Senators, regardless of party, whom he
considers well acquainted with interna-
tional problems.
The President is said to have no illu-
sions about the immensely of the task
which is confronting him at the confer
ence, which many consider far more i'm
portant than the Teheran and Yalta
meetings. He is also fully aware that
he will have to deal with two of the
shrewdest and most accomplished dip
lomats of our age. And while the imme-
date problems between the United
States and Russia need not give him I'M
due concern, he is aware that the Presi-
dent of the United States will be called
on more often than he really desires to
serve as conciliator between Russia and
Great Britain.
The war in Europe is over. Conditions
have become such that the restraint
which previously existed in the obvious
rivalry between our two major European
Allies might now disappear. Before the
Germans were crushed there was a GER
tain concern about avoiding a cleavage
for fear that it might serve the enemy.
Neither the U. S. s.. r. nor Great Britain
has the same concern about Japan,
which can be defeated by the efforts of
America alone.
In recent weeks the Moscow govern
ment has brought up matters concerning
Britains interests in the Near and Mid
die East. These were accentuated by the
difficulties the French had encountered
in Syria and Lebanon. The Turkish
problem, which became the No. head
ache of the British diplomats after the
Russians renounced the Soviet Turk
treaty Of nonaggression and amity, will
have to be solved at the Big Three meet
inig if a clash is to be avoided soon after
the ratification of the San Francisco
Charter by the Senate.
The Potsdam agenda prepared by the
American experts is reported to be heavy.
The main problems which are to be Of
fered for consideration by the American
delegation headed by President Tru-
man are so varied and complex that they
are said to cover $50 typewriter pages.
The Near and Middle East and cor
related questions such as Tangiers are
said to top the list
The Turkish question probably is the
most difficult of all not only because it
is highly desirable that the demands
presented to Turkey by Russia are set
tied amicably but also because Britain
cannot remain an impassive and disin-
terested witness to the possible dismem-
berment of that republic.
Ready to Resist.
The American and British govern
mentS have ascertained that the Turks
do not wish to share the fate of Poland
and will resist with arms any real in
fringement on their privileges as an in
dependent nation. This includes resist
ance to demands for territory and
changes in the present form of gov
eminent. And while Great Britain was
not in position to defend the cause of
the Poles more than by lip service, the
Turks feel, rightly or wrongly, that they
count on Britain's support in their pres
ent difficulties with Russia.
1t appears probable that this point of
view is known in Moscow. On July 4,
the newspaper Izvestia published a sig
nificant article in which it discussed the
question of the Dardaneles and the Mid
die East. 1t said, in part: There is one
matter on which there can be no argu-
ment-that the British Colonial Office
likes and welcomes international shar-
ing when the interests of others are
involved. The method by which the
Soviet Union has tackled the question
of the Dardanelles and its connection
with the problems of the Near East is
the best reply to Britains desire to
settle the question of the Near East in
accordance with the interests of the
British Empire The Arab League of
Nations, Syria and Lebanon in partic-
ular, ought to understand the danger
surrounding them if they bind their
foreign policy to that of Britain"
Thus, Izvestia, which carries more
weight than any other Moscow news
paper because it is the organ of the
government itself and not of the Com
munist party, admits that the problems
in that powder keg of the world are
really problems between Russia and
Great Britain. The states actually in
volved at present are mere pawns on
the gigantic international chess board.
Canal Situation Differs.
In the matter of the Dardanelles the
American point of view is logical and
simple. Our experts maintain that those
waterways created by human genius
such as the Panama, Suez and the Kiel
Canals should be controlled by the spe-
officially interested nations because
their operation requires manipulation of
machinery, gathering of tolls and other
such matters. But the natural water
ways such as the Dardanelles and the
Bosphorus should be under no one ma
tlUil CUlltIOl 1LCy IidFc pSCi SiCatCN
by nature, and it is only logical that
they should be free and open at all
times to all countries.
There is little doubt that the Turks
would be willing to dismantle all their
Notifications guarding the Dardanelles
and the Bosphorus. They would be
willing to place these water passages
- -l~xv
they could be utilized freely by mer-