The Near East

Ismet Pasha Stiffens His Back

Ismet Pasha, General, statesman, politician and head of the Turkish delegation at Lausaune, gave evidence of Turkish intractibility by informing Joseph C. Grew, the United States Observer, that Turkey would cancel the Chester concession if America insisted upon special rights for her citizens in Turkey. Grew replied tersely to the effect that nothing would deter him from protecting United States citizens and their commercial interests.

In the matter of capitulations and the Chester concession, the United States has unravelled some of the tangles by insisting upon guarantees in place of the capitulations-- as have the Allies--and by informing General Pelle that she would under no circumstances back the Chester project where it interfered with prior rights of other nationals granted by former Turkish governments.

The most significant feature of last week's deliberation was the diplomatic duel over Syria. Ismet Pasha, a small shrewd-looking man, with a smile and courtly manners, and a reputation for diplomatic skill, lives right up to all his name means. His frank statement that the Turkish troops now on the Syrian border were sent there to " drive a hard bargain with the French" can only mean one of two things--bluff or business. The situation is extremely delicate and might lead to war between France and Turkey on the smallest inadvertent provocation by local troops. Neither Turkey nor France can afford to risk such an event, which would assuredly wreck the Lausanne conference. Nevertheless, the Turks met the French ultimatum to withdraw troops from the Syrian frontier by increasing their army from 20,000 to 30,000 men, and the French have sent two divisions into Syria.

As for the Chester concession, it looks as if it will shortly assume normal proportions, if, indeed, it sur'vives at all. Both France and Britain protested against the infringement of their rights. Canada came forward with a claim of a 45% interest in the project, and, last but not least, General Goethals, builder of the Panama Canal and possibly the most significant figure behind the Chester concession, is reported to have resigned. No reason was given.