The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING, Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1922. THE WAY OPEN

Southland Times, Issue 19659, 9 October 1922, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING, Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1922. THE WAY OPEN

After many crises it now appears that the way out of the immediate Near jEast trouble is open. The Allied Conference has arranged that the Turks shall have Eastern Thrace, and the Greeks evidently have agreed to this reduction of their territory. There remains, of course, measures for the protection of the Christians in thus area from the vindictiveness and the cruelty of the Turk. Although the Allies propose to set up a commission to arrange for the installation of the triumphant Turk and to protect the Greek residents during the change from the one sovereignty to the other, there is still the question of the future Turkish administration in this part of the Balkans. Kemal and his colleagues have triumphed. They have by their Asia Minor victory recovered for Turkey a foothold in Euyope, but there will need to be important changes lin Turkish methods of government if the peace of the future is not again to be disturbed by him. At the present moment the Turk can thank the division in Allied ranks and the general fear of a new war for his victory, but he will not always have these aids to success, and if he repeats his earlier performances in misgovernment the old Balkan combination will be prepared to move against him again. It will be interesting' to see what effect the Near East -settlement will have on Indian opinion. The matter is of some importance, because it will be clear to Mohammedan minds that their co-religionists have scored a signal victory and that the Christian nations, Britain among them, yielded under pressure. Properly, of course, the masses in India should recognise this yielding as an indication of the Christian Government’s desire to be fair and reasonable, but Kemal’s win is more likely to be ‘hailed as evidence of the weakness of Britain at this juncture. This view will be put forward by a section 'of the extremists in India, and upon the success of their efforts to innoculate the masses with this virus will depend, to sbme extent, the future course of Britain’s policy in India. There are two schools: one advocating firmness, and the other seeking to develop self-government by broad toleration, even to the extent of condoning serious demonstrations of disloyalty. The two cannot hope for success if used simultaneously and it, therefore, becomes apparent that the manner in which the Indian takes the Mohammedan victory cannot fail to influence the British policy in India in the future. In Russia the prospect of this settlement will cause both pain and pleasure. Moscow’ will be able to argue with the Turks concerning the value of Red support, and the presence of the Sick Man in the Balkans again means a renewal of the possibilities of disorders there, which will suit the Russian book. As we have said on previous occasions, this business in the Near East is going to affect the politics of Europe more extensively than might appear probable on the surface, because the Little Entente and Italy are concerned in this business at different ends of it, and France, who has helped the Turk, has been angling diligently for the Little Entente’s support. Evidently Greece has abandoned all idea of securing Eastern Thrace, but the rancour at the loss of this Alsace of the Balkans will remain, and the seeds of a future conflict have been sown. It is as well to be reminded of these points, because the settlement of the Near East question raised by Kemal’s victory over the Greeks does not mean the removal of the Near East question from the 'list of problems for Europe’s future settlement. War has been averted, but the chances of another in the future have been enhanced. With the Slav menace becoming clearer, it would be extremely unwise to dismiss the Turk from all consideration as a potential mischief-maker.