The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1923. THE FUTURE OF TURKEY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 5 January 1923, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata. FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1923. THE FUTURE OF TURKEY.

Tor a century past the attention of statesmen has been much occupied with the Eastern question, which was .chiefly concerned with Turkey and its relations with Russia. At the beginning of the 19th century Turkey held the whole of, the Balkan peninsula south of the Carpathians, but its possessions have gradually diminished as first one and then another of the small Balkan States has been carved out of Turkish territory in Europe. Greece, Rouinania, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Albania have all thrown' oft' the Turkish yoke and set up independent governments, largely through the assistance of Russia. ID deed, it is probable that the Turks would haye been driven out of Europe long ago if Russia had had a free hand, but the other European Powers were strongly opposed to Russia securing control of Constantinople, and therefore supported Turkey by loans and diplomatic pressure, and even with their armies in the Crimean war. Later, after the Russo-Turkish war, the British fleet appeared before Constantinople and, prevented it falling into the hands of the Russians. The fault of the Turks is that they are soldiers and farmers, who have no idea of how to govern in the sense in which Western nations understand the word. The subject races of Turkey were therefore alvyays suffering from oppression, and, as many of them were Slavs, naturally turned to Russia for assistance. The people of Britain sympathised with these small nationalities which were struggling for freedom, but the danger of Russian expansion towards India always secured British support for Turkey when she seemed likely to fall a victim to Russia. It was felt, nevertheless, that the rise of the small Balkan States and the occupation of Egypt *>y Britain and Tripoli by Italy all tended towards progress and pointed to the final expulsion of the Turks from Europe. The future of Constantinople was a problem which no one was able to solve, for it was generally thought that it would be dangerous for Russia to control the Black Sea and be in a position to threaten the communications with India by way of the Suez Canal. Comparatively early in the war, however, the assistance of Russia was considered of such importance that her demand for Constantinople was granted by the Powers, and the question seemed settled once for all. But Russia dropped out of the war, and the future of Constantinople was once more a problem for the diplomatists to settle. The Peace Conference either never reached this question 0r left it over as insoluble. The general opinion when the Turks were defeated in the war was that they would have to move their capital to a town in Asia Minor, and that Constantinople would be put in the hands of an international commission. No European Power could undertake the task single-handed, as it would lead to serious jealousies, and it was thought that the help of the United States could be depended upon. The failure of the United States to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and their refusal to accept the mandate for Armenia showed clearly that America was unwilling to take up any of the burdens left by the war, and the Allies have not yet been able to find a satisfactory solution of the question. The

European Powers have been accustomed to deal with the Eastern question as if they alone had an interest in it, but recent events indicate' that the whole of the Moslems regard the future of the Sultan as of vital importance to them. Since 1517 the Sultans have been recognised as Caliphs. The Moslem religion has no national boundaries, and any insult to their religious head is bound to cause serious unrest, as shown by the resentment expressed a few months ago in India over Mr Lloyd George's attitude. The situation in Egypt and India has made it plain that it would be unwise to deal j too harshly with the Sultan, and it is unlikely that Constantinople will cease to be the home of the Caliph. Arabia, Palestine and Mesopotamia have all been taken from Turkish control, and there only remains Asia Minor and Armenia, of which the future is by no means uncertain. It is evident, however, that the Eastern question is still unsettled and that it provides great possibilities of> future trouble. With the best will in the world it looks as if it will be impossible for the Lausanne Conference to be a complete success, and though the Turks' threatening attitude will not alter the intentions of the Powers, the best that can be hoped for is that arrangements satisfactory to the bulk of the Moslem world will be made. The position is made more complex by the support which the Russian Republic is offering to the Turks to resist the proposals of the Powers.