EXPLORING NEAR EAST

Evening Star, Issue 18333, 21 July 1923, Page 3

EXPLORING NEAR EAST

THE CHESTER AGREEMENT.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT'S

DISCLAIMER.

Tress Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

WASHINGTON, July 19 (Received July 21, at 9.5 u.m.)

The State Department, in answering the National Popular Government League’s questions concerning the Chester concession, denied _ that the concessionaires had been given moral political assurances that in the event of a dispute the United States Government would bo bound to del end

tho validity of the concession. Tho reply asserts that the United States Govornniont took no part in the negotiations, and concerns itself only with tho maintenance of the open door policy. The league's membership includes eminent educationists, lawyers, Labor leaders, and publicists, all of whom regard this denial as being the most sweeping and explicit which the Slate. Department lias made.—A. and N'.Z. Cable.

[Tlio aim of tho trust which Admiral Chester represents was primarily to obtain concessions for the construction of railroads and tho development of mines and oil wells. A cable from London on April II stated: “Considerable perturbation prevails in Allied circles, particularly French circles, regarding Angora’s acceptance of tho Chester Agreement with an American trust. This agreement embraces many kinds of undertakings in and around Armenia, covering also Idana. These imply tho -suppression of railway consessions made to Franco on tho evo of war against a loan of a milliard of ,francs, of which half a million were actually paid,” Admiral Chester, who had a long and distinguished career in the United States navy, is president of tho Inter-Ocean Engineering Company of America.]