PROBLEMS OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 273, 20 November 1919, Page 5

PROBLEMS OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

AN INTERESTING DE&ATE.

RUSSIAN POLICY REVIEWED

[Press Association.]

(Aus. and N. 2. Assn. and Reuter,* (Received N-ov, 19, &.15 gwrau) LONDON. Nov. 18.

In the House of Commons, Lotv 3lobert <?ecil said that Bolshevism 3iad been a regime) of atrocious and ■cold-blooded murder and outrage, and one of the most brutal and bloodiest despotisms that ever stained Sristoiiy. Armed foreign intervention was absolutely impossible. 'He hoped the Denekin Uincl Koltchak would abandon'the Moscow expedition and jreorganise the territories .-already occupied, establishing a sta'b'fe 'Government. This would speedily ihave an (overwhelming moral effect upon their Bolsitevik Lord Itobert urged'the Government to be absolutely clear <wiS definite, displaying no ambiguity <or vacillation. • My Henderson re-stated Labor's emphasising iits 'opposition to intervention in 'Russia, anS he that: tira Allies' policy -had '.strengthened the reactionary efforts. He appealed to the Government to withdraw -material support ifrbm Kdltehak. and JBten^kin.

■Colonel Ward ipointeH out £hat :fhe •question of' intervention, or noniirttei'vention did not affect Britain alone. Koltchak was a 'Democrat.. He 'concluded i ' "Britain went to 'Russia if or her ■ own purposes, arid thereby /saved the lives perhaps "hundreds <of ihousanids':df 'her own men. CQur :sole aim in-"going to "Russia was to our men, and we made promises 'accordingly. ..Therefore,- we ought not .now to repudiate them." Captain Ormsby-G ore deplored the 'Helay in making peace with Turkey. (He said that half the trouble in JElgypt to-day '-was due to this 'condelay. Until a definite statement was maderas to whether the "Milner 'Commission was or was not ; going to Egypt the agitations''there •would continue. "If we, do not 'intenli to evacuate let us say so, and 7make it'quite clear that we'iritend to be masters^ ikereV"

Mr Ba'lfour -commented 'upon tthe rremarkably small'differences revealed, ;aB regarded Russia. None1 had • sugfgested a clear-mut policy, although the' Government vwas criticised -for not possessing one. He pointed-out 1 that the difficnflty in '-regard, to Turkey was that 'falie" Government-was 'Oinafrle to say- exactly .what it'desired, to do there. That would he unfair ■to'the'Allies. "Fhere must be a common Allied policy. Nevertheless it was a",prMouiid^misfortune for all the'population in 'Ishe."Near"East1-that the' Peace" CbnfereßieG* had not-BfetWed theirffuture. 'It was noti Britain's fault,- but: ifewas ,'ilwevio' the fact &hat AmericaNnad not gwen a clear'lead of-her( own policy. ; Until that*,was doneit.was' impossible' to- lay'down,-.a • common; policy of all "the Associated Powers, 'Of which America was' s>ne •of tbej most important. It was also true v that th& prevailing 'Turkish unrest ?was Tdbing ' infinite harm, making', it more difficult everyday to firid-a: satisfactory-^solution. Mr'Ballfour emphatically said tla&t - there was not a shadow of truth in ■ the -reiterated statement that Britain Vr&ilitary occupation.:of Syria meant-"thaft "she -was gpingrto re'maihx . dominant.".' "The' difficulties' before stll Western 'Mandatory Powers were great,' buip&nould not fee exaggerated, The Arabs "for the first time ifc. centuries r;hadoplayed a rgreat part an ; alliance with the Entente, and hafi especially-Shown themselves, in close . operation • .$S&h Briiia&h troops^, faithful, brave, and efficient. The • prestige of >the Arab raja^had conse-1 f fluently greatly: risen, jrfd he had' fevery o hope that there would be a) 3 resuscitation - of^great Arab civilisa- * Ttion. As "ffarVas the British and, jFrench were• eo«eerned iSiere . could r^iot be any-rivalry in Syria. He r earnestly^ hoped, ■in the friendliest i r rOO-operatiojii -.^^i the Bkench.-. and '■with the Warmest regard jjfor..- the .'Arab Allies, to see all difficulties r solved. He • 'Waapabsplutely /confident the urikappy-nffpirit of ppfest in }; 3Sgypt was. produced by th© war and t-^ould be brb-aghtf'to an end, .respecifilly seeing that General Allerfby. was tin control -of the situation and ; perfectly ' un<3ei'StpoT3 that the I : E!ast •was the birthplace ,'£>f rumors and -was full of thei#rangest 'legends -concerning the--policy-of his Majesty's • Government. I^e' Gov ernmexit's v^lew was that the 'thr^s questions ( of lifeyiJt, the Soiidan, -and the Canal iforniftd an. organic "invisible 'whole. /England in| cofineefcion with this > would ?not give uip-a>n-yEof her rcspant^iMlities. (CheersO) TBfdtish supremacy and British supremacy was ;j?oing to be mamtainiVj. (Cheers!) 3t<ot noiie in or out .rtf \;Egypt make ;any mistake •■ on that -Gyt-dinal pTnitciple of Ijhe Government. Nevertheless, 'Britain desired "in «every way jpossible -to associate, the Egyptian v i»ative population' with fee govern-; :ment f of the country, 'flim Governinient --desired in tSI respects -to promote*, prosperity in "Egj/f t. T"h© (eouiitjy was disturbed "by m. certain amount t-af dissension -arid un- ; 3t«rflissble .expectation^, -v^fcich, if iiatfilled, worfld damage ißritain and t&e -world, 'bttt mostly I2ie jEgyptian Population. The GoverniTA^n't •unalterably -ntJiiered to its deciskm 'tj» send ■out Vhe Milner Commissiaoi <of anvesiigafion. Untiii the Ccwmrikision's report -was received it wouM. be folly to attempt -to sketch projecfce.a ?fcgis~ Jation, %tit the population might,rest nsusred fh-fft the British ■Goycsmnienfr. desired to associate them as far as possibly with the work of administration, im& that, unlike their Turkish ma*ters, why in Egypt tit ,the present moment affected to "be ipro-Bgyptiaji, IBritain would steadily . (pursue the policy of amelioration •wSiich had made Egypt an utterly different place for all the inhabitants?, iSHijS. mostly for the natives, compared ] •vpfitlh the Turkish Tliese were i *t;he principles wliic'h 'animated' the 4(*ov«mrr>ent in resy>ect to ttie Middle jEas£. "We recogM)"se the tiomplicai«Bi :hnd extraordinary difficulty of

the task," Mr Balfotir concluded, "but Britain has undertaken other tasks no less difficult and has brought them to a successful eon- ! elusion, and why should we despair?' (Cheers,) Replying, Mr Lloyd George said that he was glad that the debate had ~ shown that all were agreed as ? regards the horror of both the pfac^I tice and principle of Bolshevism. It ; was 'undemocratic and did not represent freedom. He emphasised this by 'quoting from a Bolshevik proclamation, stating: "We have raised the standard of discipline in the army i'and must- now raise the Labor discipline." This proved that the Bolsheviks notion of freedom for the working classes was (compulsory labor. The Prime Minister defended his remarks describing Bullitt's -disclosures as a "tissue of lies." It

! was an obligation ©I _ honor t-b help J the men who had assisted to reqon- . struct tlio eastern 'frontier against ; :Oerma;ny. Britain hail fully dis- ! charged that obligation, but ' there [ were others of the Allies who were lin a .better position to support ; (Koltchak tiian Britain 'or France, ; I and any failure there had been did ! not Heat Britain^ door. She had ! . helped Denekin and the policy had ,; .been successful. 3?he. regions of the ■ .'Don^ and Ukraine were anti-BoY- < ! shevik, bnt it 'was clear that when-; I ever armies -marched into 'Centra&l, Russia beyond a certain point ihe^v: failed,, though none could 'say what ••Central Russia wanted. Britain, jj however, could not finance a civil war in Russia indefinitely. iHer first' concern ; was for 'her own country,' where •fSxe shortest -route "to -801-' -shevism was -financial bankruptcy.; Britain ?had contributed more than| any 'diher country to the aiiti--;Bolshev.'3is. She had contributed' more than France, Japan, ami; America" combined. He boasteH of the British action in 'this connection, '. because.it was to meet an^bligaxion: of'honor. .France and "Britain'had ' come to a similar Hew —namely, that, the Government .--caul'd not burden ■ the ? taxpayer further in respect to ■operations' :in .'Russia. Among the present 'difficulties was 'the fact ijhat' ! KoltehaSc and. Denekin were fighting! for ;a _ : reunited ";Russia, whereas; i Esthpriia, Latvia, and Lithuania were1 fighting ,;for independence, vsrliiie' other great antiißolshevik forces were fighting: for a local independent' nationality. \ Therefore, '. it was naost difficult to : lay down a policy. He. pointed 'out that rthose favoring intervention •in Russia • opposed intervention in Armenia, and vice-versa. ■Mr SLloyd -George added fchat| Germain* were still 'in the Balitic provinces rarid "they urust 'be cleared, out. ©therwise the peace of Europe w-asu-not safe. He asked who advocated the terrible responsibility 6f; restoring oiider in a c country wMch ; was :.a .:continent in ■which ewiry nation and revery army which had; been interested hatl hitherto ■ harvested disaster. He refused the; responsibility. (Ghers;),