Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1925. POWERS AND TURKEY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 March 1925, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1925. POWERS AND TURKEY.

Often the friend of those opposing Britain, our morning contemporary is apparently indignant that “the Bowens. should, attempt to dictate to Turkey” as to which town, Constantinople or Angora, must be the residence of - the Powers’ ambassadors. The Powers are unanimous that, meanwhile, their representatives shall continue to have their headquarters at Constantinople, whereas the Turks demand that a removal should be made to the new capital,. Angora. At first, glance, it would appear that Turkey was right and the Powers wrong, as international custom, and indeed common sense, makes foreign ambassadors, in any country, reside in that particular nation’s administrative centre, no matter how greater the size or commercial importance may be of other towns in the same land. The United State? affords an example of this, in Washington as against New York. Angora, however, is no Washington; although it is to be rebuilt on similar lines as now make Washington one of the finest cities in

‘the world. Angora, although. expanding, is yet far from fit to be a national capital. According to a ‘ recent contributor to the London ‘ 1 Times, ’’, Angora ,■ is. not yet able to accommo.date. in comfort the. increase of population due to the transfer of-the seats of Government. Many of the members of the Grand National Asseembly are hot able to obtain anything better than a small .room with a bed and. a few sticks, of cheap furniture. The hotel accommodation .is comparatively primitive, ■ the streets badly made and- worse lit, and generally the contrast between Constantinople and Angora is. such that the Powers’ -decision is quite understandable to. any. but the prejudiced. In time, Angora may become worthy of its high purpose,. and the Powers would be welL advised to help the Turks ' in , this . direction. . The Turkey to be dealt-with to-day is quite different from, that in prewar clays. No less an authority than Djevacl Bey, Turkish Ambassador at Paris, recently summed up the new Turkey as follows: The Ottoman Empire has passed into history. It has disappeared, not only geographically, and politically, but it no longer exists as a moral entity, justifying the conception of the sick man of Europe, an eternal problem and source of trouble for the world. The new Turkish Republic is the product of a. radical transformation ,and vast reforms, abolition of the Khalifat, separation of the State from religion, unification of education, etc., reforms which only a. few years ago > the world thought Turkey utterly incapable of achieving. The new mentality of Turkey may be summed up in a few words — jealous defence of the political and. economic independence of the Turkish people against all and by all means possible; rapid- and de-, cisive strides along the road to civilisation and.progress; no territorial- •ambitions beyond the ethnical frontiers of Turkey; and determination to. become in European society an element, of peace, a factor striving towards international, fraternity.” If that is the policy of Kemal Pasha and his Government, the new era is to be welcomed by the Allies, and so far as the British Empire is. concerned, it is preferable to be on good terms with the; Turks than in. attempting, to thwart their just aims. They make good friends as well as stern enemies, and now no longer being a European Power, the Turks should be encouraged to concentrate their energies in remodelling their Asiatic headquarters. Many in Constantinople are bewailing that famous city’s dwindling political and' commercial importance, and its prominent public men are endeavouring to restore its lost prestige. This is believed by many to be an impossible task, and the idea most favoured is to let trade and politics look after themselves, and develop Constantinople as a tourist resort, on Monte Carlo lines, including gambling casinos. The relegation of Constantinople to such a fate might intake for world peace, as its possession would no more be so alluring to others than the Turks, always providing that the straits are kept open for legitimate traffic.