Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-22
Russiu and the Straits

Russiu and the Struits
American rejection of Moscow's
proposals for joint Russian Turkish
control of the Dardanelles is based
on the simple but profoundly impor-
tant fact that those proposals, if
put into effect. would undermine
Turkeys sovereignty and territorial
integrity and would tend, beyond
that, to pave the way for Soviet
domination of the Near and Middle
East. Our formal note on the sub
ject does not put the matter so
bluntly, but that is the substance of
our position nonetheless.
Under the Montreux Convention
of 1886, when they are neutral in
time of war or when they consider
themselves threatened, the Turks
have the right to close the Straits
to the combat vessels of all bellig-
erents and to restrict merchant
shipping. Since the tabled waterway
is a vital and highly strategic link
between the Black Sea and the
Mathematician outlet of prime
interest to landlocked Russia for
centuries past-the Russians are UNI
derstandably intent on getting the
freest possible movement through 1t.
Their proposals to that end, how
ever, go far beyond anything that
could be regarded as reasonable not
only by Turkey but by Britain, the
United States and other coun-
tries legitimately concerned about
changes in the power structure of
the world
What Russia seeks is the scrap
ping of the Montreaux Treaty and a
new understanding setting up
Joint Soviet-Turkish defense system
and administrative machinery con-
trolled by the Black Sea powers
alone-the Soviet Union, Turkey and
the Soviet Unions satellites, Ro-
mania and Bulgaria. In effect, this
would almost certainly mean Rus
sian dominance, with Russian bases
on Turkish soil-an arrangement
likely to cause the swift downfall of
any Turkish government Except a
puppet one) accepting it. Moreover,
it would deprive the other Montreux
signatories of any voice in the con-
troll of the Straits and would place
Moscow in an excellent position to
extend its sway over the Middle East.
With the Eastern Mediterranean a
vital factor in the safety of it's en-
pire lifelines, Britain-one of the
most important of the Montreux sig
natories-obviously could not sup
port such a change. AS for the
United States, even though not sig
natory, our note makes clear that
we are fatty opposed to the suspi
cion-breeding exclusiveness of the
Russian plan.
The American position-which is
shared in its essentials by Britain,
France and Turkey-holds that the
Dardanelles concern more than the
Black Sea powers. that the defense
responsibility should remain pri-
marily Turkeys, that in case of &C
tual or threatened attack the United
Nations Security Council should act,
md fhot
far from being exclusive-should be
properly related to the U. NJ Other
wise, as announced last year by Sec
rotary Byrnes and reaffirmed now in
our note, the United States favors a
revision of the Montreux Convention
granting special privileges to the
Black Sea nations and satisfying all
Russia's legitimate interests.
Such revision, fully guarantee
ing the rights of the Russians but
giving them no rights to bases in
the Straits, would preserve Turkeys
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
More than that, by creating new
relationship between the Straits and
the United Nations, it would pre-
vent an acute intensification of
power rivalries in the Neat and Mid
die East. Moscow's proposals would
do sjust about the opposite; if in
sisted upon, they can lead to truly
dangerous situation in STRATEGY
cally crucial part OF the world.