TURKISH DANGER TO EUROPE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3144, 20 November 1922, Page 7

TURKISH DANGER TO EUROPE.

(By Sir Philip tribbs.)

It is idle to disguise under optimistic phrases the very grave situation not only in Europe but throughout Asia caused by the overwhelming victory of tlie Turks over the Greeks. It is one step backward in a series ol reactions which threaten to reverse all that was achieved by our victory in the world war. One ol those achievements seemed to be a thrusting forth of the Turk from Europe, where he has been like a dead hand upon all modern progress among the Christian peoples in his clutches, and where with a bloody hand lie made the Balkans an area of continual war. The imprint of that bloody hand, now carved in stone where Mohammed the Conqueror rode over the corpses of the Christian defenders of Constantinople in 1453, was shown to me hj hen 1 was there two summers ago on a pillar of the great mosque, which was once a Christian church, which is that symbol now used by. the Sultan on all his stamps and seals. The coming hack of Islam will once again be a spearhead in Eastern Europe, into which the Turk or the Ottoman, as he was then called, penetrated once under Solyman the Magnificent to the sun gates of Vienna. What now gives all good Europeans a sense of grave uneasiness is not the immediate victory of the Turk over Greece in Asia. Minor, but las claim to make a private lake of the Dardanelles through which no ship must pass into the Black Sea; his demand to resume all sovereignty at Constantinople ami his dominion over Thrace. Iw serious still is the acknowledged fact that the Turk’s victorious onslaught was aided by money from the Government at Moscow. .That is an unholy alliance which forhodes no good to European civilisation and peace. In Germany it has already had a disturbing influence. Germany has also had friendly relations with Moscow, and the Turks were Germany s. allies in the world war. If Turkey can entirely reverse her defeat with -Russia. there are some organs of tho old junker class— though not, I am certain. the masses in Germany -who mav he driven to the same war to escaiie humiliation. Anyhow it will lead to intrigues and plots of a dangerous character. . Whv France does not see tins l cannot understand. The French people are frankly rejoiced over tho I nrkislt victory, hut France is not a Mohammedan Power, like England and therefore involved in Mohammedan unrest, and France is above all nations suspicious of the Hussiun alliance with, Germanv. She cannot help feeling some jealousy* of the British mandates in Palestine and Mesopotamia, which 1 have cost the British taxpayers many millions of wasted money and made the French people forgetful of their own responsibilities in Syria and Morocco. The French people have always had; a, sentimental regard for the Ihiks, partly owing, perhaps, to tho works ol that literary genius Pierre Loti, hey also dislike the Greeks intensely, and, with the Italians, resented the new power they had assumed in the Mediterra neon. It is curious that altliougii official British policies have been proGreek of late-and it was undoubtedly duo to this policy that the Greeks bit off more than they could chew, to use a. vulgar expression—popular Englaud has also been, like the trench, anti-Greek and pro-Turk. In spite of war, where thousands ol British soldiers fell fighting the Turks at Gallipoli, the sentiment of admiration even affection, for the “wooly old Turk” persisted among many intelligent folk. It is not based on a long tradition of friendliness which was broken first in that war alter many years. There is still a. belief that the Turk is “the only gentleman m the Balkans.” Undoubtedly tlie Turk has good qualities like most people, especially like most peasants. I "saw something of the lurk soldiers and peasants in the war in Bulgaria and Turkey in 11M2. I saw more when I went to Constantinople and Asia Minor not long ago. They are simple. brave, sturdy men, faithful to the belief in Allah and his prophet, and, in time of peace, law abiding and honest. In time of war their fanaticism makes them ruthless of human life. Last week 1 alluded to their massacres of Greeks and Armenians in the late war and the story of what happened in those Christian communities as the most horrible thing in history. Nevertheless, it is only fair to say that English traders iin the colonies m Asiai Minor still upheld the Turk ami had no sympathy whatever for the Greeks, still less for the Armenians, whom they accused of being a lying, dishonest, Cut-throat race. Ho I am told by tho greatest English trader in Asia Minor living in a little British colony at Biidjaiin Kills, behind Smyrna. Here I found them playing tennis on a good imitation of English lawns,, though a. camel caravan was passing the garden gates and the Turkish mosques could be seen above the trees. There they had stayed in safety throughout the war, treated well and guarded strongly by Turk soldiers, whose brothers were fighting their way at Gallipoli. Thcv arc pro-Turks to a man. >q doubt*this is due to certain' qualities ol chivalry and honesty in the character of the Eastern race in spite of its cruelty. It is perfectly safe, Tam told, to give credit to the Turk, thoroughly unsafe to give it to the Greek. Unit may lie true, as no doubt it is. But for all that I have no use for the Turk in Europe or the Orient, He doesn t belong to our type of civilisation, isn t in our sense of the word European. As for the Greeks, whom so many people dislike and despise, I must say what I saw of them iin the Greek islands and Asia Minor impressed me with iriendIv feelings. After their capture ol Smyrna. disgraced in its first hours by massacre of the Turks, they caused frightful treatment of their lellow Christians. In the war they -tried to wipe out this blow by generous treatment to the Turkish population and the enlightened: government of a city whose very stones tunned up by the spade recall memories of the glories of their ancient race, when Greek art and beauty (lowered in Asia Minor upon all shoresof the Mediterranean. The Greeks I met were stirred liy old dreams, their race looked toward Constantinople as a, fulfilment of their destiny. It was ;i dream, which I never believed would rome true, and now they have had a hitler awakening. One man holds lor the time the late of Con stunt inn pie in his hands, and it is a task that will pub Ins nerve and statesmanship as well as his military ,-cuius to the highest test. I hat is General Sir Charles Haiington com-mander-in-chief of the Allied lowers at Constantinople. During the war m France and Flanders lie was chief of staff orf the Second British Army, and I)v common consent of British othccis and men. he was the one General who made staff work a. perfect science, \U*l. do 1 remember many battles w lie i General 1 Harington outlined all preparations he bad made for attack and revealed the minute detail with which he had organised the whole vast business involved in movements ol masses of men and guns with transports ami supplies. He had a cold precision which was wonderful, an intense nerv-

ous energy, absolute knowledge of his enemies' disposition, strength and moral state. v I remember those conferences ait night time in headquarters at Kassal, one for hoiiTsi under a glass roof upon which tflwaysi the rain beat down, and, though I hated the thought of the bloody business in hand, I was always filled with profound admiration for the master.mind of Harington. His l command in Constantinople is not enviable. That magnificently beautiful, disgustingly dirty gateway between East and West, with its thronging population, is l not easy to handle 1 at a time of passion and unrest. Every Turk there is for Mustapha Kemal as leader to victory against the Christian people who l hold the Sultan in their power or who. have dwelt in their mid'st. When 1 was there it seemed to me the most fantastic city in the world in its contrast between the European quarter at Pera and the Oriental one in the lower town and its wild assembly of nationalities and races ranging through every type of humanity. Now Constantinople is under the wise and stern rule of General Harrington, patrolled by marines and military police. British and French troops are being massed in the greatest strength for defence l against a menace which comes closer. One cannot tell what fires will be lit at this bridgehead to Europe, which stands guard against the mystery of the East and its smouldering passions. England, France, and Italy must act together here or the danger will he great indeed. Fortunately there are signs that the differences 1 in France and England on this question of the Near East arei being merged in a friendly agreement for common defence.