THE LUSANNE CONFERENCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 23 December 1922, Page 4

THE LUSANNE CONFERENCES

THE .almost complete agreement reach od between the Allies and Turks at Lausanne comes appropriately at tins season of Peace and (.foodwill. But that the Turks have consented to practically all the Allies’ proposals is not strange, because thereby they obtain peacefully what they were prepared to fight for—namely, the restoration of Constantinople ami Eastern Thrace, including Adriauople, indeed of all turkey as it was in 1914, excepting Arabia and the mandated territories of Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia. That, they have ' consented to the Allies' proposals regarding the freedom of the Straits, has put a hopeful complexion on;the Near East question. This means that Turkey will be admitted lo the League of Nations, if she so wishes, and that the League will become responsible for the freedom of the Straits. Such a duty will \f. of world-wide importance, and will demonstrate at once the League’s prestige and usefulness. It will also test the Leagues power to perform the high* functions devolving upon it. . What means the League will create for protecting the freedom of the Straits cannot, of course, he ..foreseen, but whatever they may be they will be maintained by the Powers composing the League, and whether Turkey becomes a member of that body or no, she will be obliged to coniform to its decisions, supported as They will bo by# all the moat powerful and civilised nations of tie >vorld. On more than brie occasion when Franco and other nations have seemed to doubt the efficacy of the League, Britain Has stood up staunchly for it, and now we have the happy spectacle of British statesmanship not only uniting France and Italy witil Britain in solving tiro difficult problem of peace in the Near East, buj wo uk! her - with liieni paving ■the way solidly towards the solution of future difficulties .which may arise between Turkey and the mandatory Powers coni rolling Syria, Palestine and Alo.sopoiaiiiia. Tlio firmness, I not, and address of Lord Curzon call for the highest .encomiums. As Viceroy of India he doubtless learned much of the Moslem character and mind. As the representative of Britain at Lausanne lie has made 1 use "oL all this knowledge in his dealing with me Tuples. It would seem that- to Lord Gurzon 'the French and Italians largely entrusted their case ""- 1 the exposition of the Allies' point of view; more, they seem to have left lo him the difficult task of checking the evident hostility of the Russians to an amicable settlement. Of a commanding personality, stern, somewhat autocratic, suave when occasion serves, firm anduncompromislo a degree seldom met with in the British politician. Lord Cumin has proved himself exactly tint, diplomat' whom the occasion needed. Not only has he been chiefly instrumental in bringing the Turks to a sense of then best interests, he has restored the harmony which should always characterize the deliberations of France and Italy and Britain, and lie bas demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt the true position of (lie Russians in the councils of the world.