THE TURKISH QUESTION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12012, 15 March 1920, Page 5

THE TURKISH QUESTION.

SPEECH BY LORD QUEZON. United pAss Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright^ London, March 11. In the House of Lords, Lord Carzon declared that disarmament of the Turkish army in Cilicia during the British occupation was entirely beyond onr power. He detailed the steps taken in connection with the massacres and pointed out that there were about 730,000 inhabitants in Cilicia, of whom 546,000 were Moslems. It was therefore difflcnlt to say that this portion of the Turkish Empire should be cut out tie hoped France would undertake the future security of minorities in that region notwithstanding her desire fcn limit her responsibilities there. In regard to Armenia, it was not thought that Northern Armenians were endangered. *He was bound to admit they were not such innocent lambs as some supposed; indeed, they had made a series of the most savage and bloodthiratyJattacksJconceivaDle after giving clear provocation. The Peace Conference’s idea was to create an Armenian State containing a distinct predominance of Armenians, with a defensive frontier and access to the sea. The Armenians ought to be able to protect themselves if the Allies succeeded in arming them. It might be advisable to place Armenia under the League of Nations, if no mandatory country appeared. As regarded the fate of Constantinople, which was one of the most complex and closely debated issues, the Allies were called on to consider, he said Moslems the world over were anxious to keep the Sultan there, not merely because he was the Khalif, but because it symbolised power and authority. It was hoped the draft of the Turkish Treaty would be ready by 31st March, but he warned people against imagining that peace would spread over Europe.