FACILITATING A SEPARATE PEACE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXX, Issue 14579, 2 June 1916, Page 4

FACILITATING A SEPARATE PEACE.

One important result of the Anglo-Rus-sian agveeu.-'iu should be that it will

!';■..-iiitait' llie wa\ to a Turkish peace who.-i tli.- Ottoman Goveniiu'-nt fools disposo-l to tutor into negotiations. Some. time, ago it was repcrtod that Turkey was desirous of discussing peace terms, tat that the Allies had declared that i,,>thing short -)f unconditional surrender would suit tbein. The rea-nu for such an attiu.le mi the part of the Allies v.ould be that α-rt I'ussi.i an.: Britain were not then-selves ; n

agreement as to the t'utiuv of Turkey, ihev were not in a position to .set down hard and fast te.rm.s- with her. Such a state of affairs was distinctly unfortunate from a French point of view, and there have been one- or two lively discussions in the. Republican Legislature in regard to it, several members of tho Chamber of Deputies plainly declaring that a separate peace could have long ere this been concluded with Turkey" had but Britain and "Russia composed their differences. History may yet prove to us that French persuasion "has played rather an important part in the agreement now figuring in the cables. As to what the 1,-rnis of the agreement are speculation at this stage would be hardly worth while: though we must expect to hear of pretty big concessions to ' Russia, and, in regard to tho Dardanelles, it is certain that, whatever the control to be exercised over them, "Russia will have, free and unrestrictod use of them in pcaco and war.