Evening Star Newspaper, October 4, 1925, Page 47

MOSUL DISPUTE MENACE TO BRITISH POWER IN ASIA War for Reconquest Would Be Popu- Turks—Row Is Like lar With Crisis in China. BY FRANK H. SIMONI HE dispute over Mosul, which has set the League of Nations by the ears and preserved the threat of war during most of the sixth session of the assem- bly. has two quite different aspects which are of unequal fmportance but both of great interest. There is the main issue beiween the British and the Turks and there is also the prob lem of the league and its capacity to deal with a question patently men acing world peace. As to the main issue the facts are simple. The district of Mosul lyving between the territc recogznized to be Turkish and the region best known as Mesopotamia had been, prior to the World Wab. under Turkish rule for centuries. It was inhabited mainly by Kurds, Mohammiedan but it was actually at between these mountaineers and the Arabs. To complicate the already com plicated situation, it was also plenti- fully supplied with trouble-making minorities both in the matter of race | Turks, and of religion. Vast Arab Kingdom. After Turkey joined powers in the World W developed ar amazingly ambitiot plan for the reorzanizition of the ou Iving Turkish provinces between Mediterranean and the Persian fron- tier. which were mainly but by no means wholly inhabited hy Arab: There was to be a vast Arah kingdor more or less under British influence and covering the flank of all the routes hetween the Mediterranean and British India, as well as the zreat oil fields of Southern Persia. The Arabs were persuaded to join the British against the Turks and their aid was a de- cisive factor in the struggle. Unfortunately for the British, while they promised the Arabs all of the llberated regions they were con- strained to make promises for a dif- ferent disposition of certain portions: thus they agreed that France should have Syria and they embarked upon the adventure which was to provide the Jews with a national home in Palestine. From the very outset, too, they came to grlef with the French, who insisted upon having Syria, and with the Arabs, who insisted that they had been promised Syria as a part of the new Arab state. Quite as unpleas- antly the British encountered Arab op- position to the Jewish plan in Pales- tine. where the Arabs were the domi- nant ethnic element. The French difficulty settled by Anglo-French agreements which hestowed Syria upon France, 10 be held as a mandate from the Teague of Nations. But Anglo- French relations were poisoned by this dispute. At one stage. too. the po session of Mosul was sharply contest- ed. but Clemencean ultimately vield- ed. accepting a promise of a percent- aze of the oil for France, and it was precisely this dispute which the attention of the world to the real value of what was otherwise one of the most forsaken of rezions <mir Feisal Set Up. far the disputes tween France and course of time the French mandate of Syria organ Brittsh set up the Emir ruler of the Arab state, the title of Irak. But from the out- et the whole Mesopotamian mandate was unpopular in Britain because it entailed vast expense and was re- garded as not merely wasteful but in- volving the empire in grave dangers. So great was the pressure at home that the British government had planned to retire from the situation in 1928, giving Irak a treaty of alliance and thus at one time preserving Brit- ish influence but escaping direct re- sponsibility by abandoning the man- date. So far, however, the Turk has not been very important. In the treaty of Sevres, one of the series which were sizned by the defeated nations after the war, Turkey was made to cede Mosul, which was de- signed to be joined to the Arab state that Britain was to create. At that moment Turkey was powerless to resist the occupation of Mosul, but it did not ratify the treaty of Sevres. Instead it presently declined to a cept it and engaged in a war with the Greeks, who undertook to make good rights to Smyrna and other lands under this same After a_considerable perind of success the Greeks were finall beaten and driven out of Asia Minok and the victorious Turks came to the straits determined to assert their rights not alone to all their lands in Asia Minor but also the Adrianople in Europe. There for the was o been be- In due ot their d_and the Feisal had Britain h aspect as immediately a crisis and several weeks grave danger of war between Britain and Turkey. Llovd George's frantic appeal to the dominions to support the mother country in what promised to be a new war was the outstanding circum- stance in this crisis, and at one time elicited very lukewarm responses from the dominions, which had no desire to send troops overseas again, and led 10 George's own fall at home, where public sentiment was equally opposed to war. Territory Restored. As a consequence of British reluc- tance to fight, a reluctance not a lit- tle stimulated by the fact that hoth Italy and France declined to stand with her and were, in fact, more or less openly sympathizing with the Turk, the Turks were presently able tn achieve a very real victory at Lausanne, where they made a new treaty. replacing that of Sevres, and restoring to them much of their lost territory both in Europe and in Asi But the treaty of Lausanne left the question of Mosul open. The region was claimed both by the Arabs and the Turks and the Arabs had the powerful backing of British diplomacy. In the end it was agreed to send the question to the League of Natio which appointed a commission to re- port. Technically, the mission of the Geneva representatives was to settle # disputed boundary: actuaily, it was recognized that it would decide upon the title of Mosul, to the district as the | finally | called | as | which took | well as the city which gives its name | to a former Turkish vilayet. The report of the commission, re- cently presented at Geneva, the direct cause, too, of the great disturbance, must rank as one of the most remark- able of arbitral documents. It was not unanimous and it proposed not one but three solutions. If Great Britain would consent to undertake for 25 years—that is, for 23 years longer than her existing contract, which she did not intend to renew— mandatory responsibility for the pro- tection of the Irak State, then the commission by a twe-to-one vote rec- ommended Mosul should go to Irak. On the other hand, if Great Britain declined this responsibility the com- mission recommended that the whole of Mosul should pass to Turkey, or in any event the northern half. in- cluding the city of Mosul and the more valuable oil deposits. Clash Followed. Here was a_decision which opened the way for the clash that followed. It was clear that the commission be- lieved that as between Turkey and Irak standing alone, it was the course of wisdom to give the territory to Turkey, which could, if it chose, take | which it later on by force. It was clear, too, that the commission thought precious little of the prospects of the Arab state if the British abandoned it. Be- tween the lines, too, many analysts have read the view of the commission |as beinz that Turkey had the better claim, based upon racial and historical | srounds. | " In reality. then. what the commis- sion said was that the land in dispute in whole, or as to the more valuable half at_least, ought to =o to Turkey unless Great Britain would undertuke responsibility for the whole of the Arab state with Mosul thrown in. Patently, the prospects for orderly prozress in the valleys of the Tig land Luphtates under British control. en indirect, are greater than under Turkish, and the leazue commission | might conceivably undertake to per- suade the British to stay by offering Mosul as a_prize. Cevertheless, it is not alone hard to v real justice in the decision, but also simpleé to perceive how totally | unfair this decision seemed to the | They had never recognized | Mosul as separated from Turkish do- { minion | the questi on’ with Irak, but the arbi- central | tration commission had now in effect ar the British | offered to give Mosul to Britain if the British would take it. Thereupon the | Turk began to talk war, and rumors of the concentration of Turkish troops | was heard while the Eritish formally charzed that the Turks were sending | raiding parties across the lne wnich had been established pending the de- cision of the commission. Unhappy Christian minorities on either siae of the line were alleged to have been tha victims of the aggressions. The Turk on his side denied the charges. League Situation Unpleasant. As for the league, its situation was also unpleasant. Once more, as in the case of its decisions with respect of Upper Silesia and of Vilna. to say nothing of the Sarre, of Danzig, of Memel and of Eastern Galicia, one of the parties in interest had flatly de- clined to accept the decision and showed every sign of resorting to war to prevent the decision from standing. Moreover, the situation was further complicated by the fact that there was unmistakable opposition in Britain to the assumption of responsibility for a quarter of a century for one of the most inflammable areas in all Asfa. To bridge the gap and avoid an imme- diate clash the league resorted to the device of appointing a commission to investigate the charges of raids and massacres in the Mosul area: but this olution neither satisfied nor deceived What was worse, it settled The truth is that tion is one in which the league could hardly hope to achieve much, if an. thing. Britain is in Mesopotamia be- cause of its relation to her strategical routes to India and hecause also of its proximity to the oil fields of south- ern Persia, which she controls. She has established there an Arab state and is thus, on the surface, working in conformity with the principle of self-determination. But the simple fhct is that the mass of the Arabs are eager to get rid of foreizn rule, the more odious since it is Christian, for the vast majority of the inhabitants of the area, whether Arabs or Kurds, are Mohammedan. The protocol of 1923, by which Britain agreed to get the Irak into the League of Nations and to have its frontiers fixed and therafter recogz- nize it as a sovereign state, with the limitation that the King should ac- cept a British high commissioner and take his advice in matters of foreign policy and where British interests | were affected. looked to the ending of Britain’s mandatory responsibilities in 1928, Not only has the dispute over Mosul interrupted this program, but the league's commission has delib- erately set about to keep Britain in this stormy area for a quarter of a century. British Not Ready for War. Despite the obvious danger: British_are in no position to face a war_with Turkey. They have only air squadrons, which have been called upon for various operations in past years. To hold Mosul against a Tur! sh army would mean the employ- ment of very considerable forces, could hardly be drawn from India in view of the present Indian They could, of course, use their fleet against Turkish ports. Constantinople could hardly be defended, hut the Turkish government is no longer at Con- stantinople and neither blockade nor hombardment would much affect the Turks, while their present capital Angora, is beyond reach of British invasion. Beyond the immediate dangers in- cident to an invasion of Mosul by regular Turkish troops there is the possibility that there might be a general uprising against the British in Irak and the French in Syria. At the moment the French are carrying on a very difficult and costly struggle with the Druses on the edge of Pales- tine, and the French hold upon all of ‘Syria is exceedingly precari- ous. Lord Balfour, who visited Da- mascus after his trip to Jerusalem, had a very unpleasant demonstration of the state of mind of the inhabitants of the French mandate, following only less unpleasant experiences in Paledtine itself. Turkey's victories over Greece and her successful defiance of Europe at Lausanne have not alone raised Turk- ish pride and passion to a danger point, but they have given Turkey a very profound influence all over this corner of Asia and among all the Mohammedan populations. There has heen a corresponding diminution of British prestige, while France has suffered both because of her Syrian difficulties and because of the Moroc- can_war, which has been presented in the East as a religious struggle in which the Christian has heen worsted. In the same fashion recent events in Egypt have been employed to inflame passions against the British. ‘War Would Be Popular. If the Turks should decide to re- ject the Geneva decision and take up arms it is hard to see how the League of Nations could exercise any in- fluence. There is no public opinion in Turkey which might be affected by any moral flat and a war for the re- conquest of the whole of the lost Aslatic areas, Syria, Palestine and the Irak, would doubtless be popular.: In such a war, too, Turkey might hope for direct aid from the Bolshevists, with whom they have a frontier, and indirectly from Germany, whose in- fluence in Angora is by no means negligible. Of course, if Britain and France chose to put forth their ful might, and both would certainly be involved sooner or later, Turkish defeat would be inevitable. But it is excessively unlikely that popular opinion either such a_ war, given domestic difficul- ties and particularly those of a finan- clal character. What is certain is that if there should be a war, it would be a serfous affair, quite as serious as that now taking place in Morocco, and it would have very disagreeable repercussions all over Asia and nota- bly in India and China, Rritish already have their hands full On the other hand, it is difficult to hey had agreed to arbitrate the w s- T ol AU | conservative wing of labor. put it to| small garrisons, chiefly composed of | state of mind and in view. too, of the { | Mohammedan question. in Britain or France would support where the THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D. C., OCTOBER 4, 1925—PART The Story the Week Has Told BY HENRY W. BUNN. HE following is mary of the most impor- tant’ news of the world for the seven days ended Octo- her 3: The Debt Negotiations.—The ne- £otlations between the American and French Debt Funding Commissions ended on Thursday. The French and American proposals addressed to the complete problem never approached each other, but there seems little re: son to doubt that the final American offer, intended as a five-vear stop gap, will be acceptable to the French Par- liament. Our ~ commission _accepted French viewpoint that vearly represents the limit of French capacity to pay during the next five vears. They, therefore, _proposed that France pay accordingly, the forty millions to be considered full current interest (less than 1 per cent on the consolidated debt of approxi- mately $4,227,000,000) during the five vear perfod. and that at the end of that period the two governments again review tne capacity of France to pay and then determine the amounts to be paid over such further term as may be agreed on. “The nub of the difficulty.” said our commission in making this offer, “arises from a difference in judgment 15 to the future capacity of France to pay, without undermining her eco- nomic “and social fabric. | “It appears to us that within this I period of five vears the economic problem will have heen much clarified and we shall both be in better po- sition to make determination.” The mandate of the French com mission did not permit it to sign a provisional agreement. It will be interesting to observe the reaction of the Conzress to the offer. M. Caillaux hopes for quick action in France. ko % The British Empire.—I recited last week how the recent Trades Union Congress, at Scarborough. was stam. neded by the Communist delegates in- to voting resolutions of a rich bolshe- vist flavor. The Communists expected | tn “repeat’ at the Labor Party Confer- ence which opened at Liverpool on Tuesday, but they sadly deceived themsel Last vear's Labor Party Conference voted against affiliation of the Labor party with the Communist |party, against permitting avowed Communists to stand for election as representatives of the Labor party, or !under the aegis of that party, and against admission of Communists (as Communists) as delegates to the Labor | Party Conference (a good many Com- { munists, however, get in camouflaged {as trade union members); the decision so voted to hold zood for three years | Yielding to the insistence of the camouflaged Communists, C. T. Cramp, chairman of the conference, that sturdy representative of the more brief sum- the the vote whether those decisions | should be reconsidered. The conference overwhelmingly voted ‘“no. The conference went on to pass resolutions of a moderate note. in- cluding one expressing the conviction that soclety should be reorganized on a soclalistic basis, “by parliamentary means and progressive stages.” One almost suspects that the Scar- borough resolutions were passed In { trolicsome mood to jolly well chill the | capitalist_marrow. reat things are expected of a new type of seaplane just completed for see how the British can either refuse to continue their responsibility for the | Irak under their mandate or abandon Mosul to the Turks without further loss of prestige, which may prove in the end almost as expensive as a war itself. There is only one imperial problem for Britain and it extends from Alexandria to Honkong. In Egypt, In Mesopotamia, in India and in China, Britain is face to face with a growing spirit of unrest, of hostility. { Weakness at one point encourages resistance at another. Prestige Weakened. The World War gravely weakened the prestige of all of the western na- tions in Asia. At the same time it even more seriously crippled them, So far as their own resources were concerned. So far as one can now | see, this unrest and hostility to the foreigner are likely to continue and {to grow indefinitely. In the region { immediately called into question by { the Mosul dispute. Turkey will cer- tainly continue to plan for the recon- struction of her old empire and she feels the British her real enemy both because Britain backed Greece in the late Greco-Turkish War and because, | without British support, the Arab state in Trak could hardly resist Turk- sh arms for any long period. In the present crisis war may be averted, although. it seems to me, the i Turkish danger has been underesti- | mated rather than exaggerated, but | the fact is fairly clear that sooner or { later the British must decide to fight | to retain their influence in the vallevs of the Euphrates and Tigris or retire. Even If they choose to fight the chances are that in the opening phases they will be forced to retire not alone from Mosul but not impossi- bly from Bagdad, and reconquest might prove as difficult as the original adventure, in the opening chapter of which a British army surrendered to the Turk at Kutel-Amara. If the Turk should succeed in retaking Bag- dad, too, one may well doubt if there should be much left of the Arab state and the struggle might extend to Palestine. What we are seeing is by no means the first. but one of the most sig- nificant, in a long series of crises in European imperialism in Asla. Young China, at the other end of the line, is at the same moment challenging British Empire in the same spirit al- though with other weapons than those employed by the new Turkey. Of course, China is not young and Turkey is not new. but all Asia seems stirring again and it is the destiny of Britain, as the great imperfal power, to en counter the rising storm. After all, | Mosul s only a sign just as the Shanghal outbreak was ‘a. less con- | siderable portent. What mattera is that the gospel or heresy of self-de- termination seems to have found deep and dangerous lodgment in the Ori- ental mind. (Copyright, 1925.) o Anatole France’s Brain Smaller Than Average Large brains do not necessarily go with great genius. The brain of Anatole France. which was willed to sclence, was not only exceedingly small for a well developed old man of 165 pounds, but was over a fourth smaller than even the average brain. But Dr. Felix Renault, who examined it, states that the brain showed an unusually large number of deep fur- rows, and that this characteristic rather than the actual brain weight should be looked upon as proof of nighly developed intelligence. Another example of a small brain in a man of genius, Dr. Renault states, 1s that of Gambetta, the French statesman, whose brain weighed 1,160 grams, or 143 grams more than Anatole France's, and was likewise furrowed deeply. Both of thése cases suggest that it is the area of the outer surface of the brain and not its weizht that has & direct relation te intelligence. $40,000,000 | | man Nationalists. | should Germany the British government. auxillary equipment of - masts and sails. of very light but strong ma- terials, the latter a thousand square- leet over all. The plane is constructed duraluminum, throughout. The Canadian Parliament has been dissolved, and general elections are to be held this month. The principal issues before the electorate are the tariff, reform of the Senate, taxation, fmmigration and the railroads. The indications from recent provincial elections point to overthrow of the Liberals. Fortunately for Canada, she Is too prosperous and happy for her annals to be interesting, i. e., in the sense that those of Europe and China are interesting. * K ok K France.—Marshal Lyautey has re- signed as Governor General of Mo- rocco and his resignation has been accepted. Thus, old and terribly worn by years of incessant labor, passes from the active scene one of the colo- nial administrators of histor: no doubt discredited to many by reason of the present posture of affairs in Morocco, but, if so, most unjustly. Leon Bourgeols is dead at 74. Though one of the most distinguished men in the public life of his time, he made singularly little noise. He held important office during a large part of his career, was premier for a few months in 1895, and president of the Senate, 1918-23. He won the Nobe! prize of 1919 and was the first chalrman of the leasue councll In 1920. He was, perhaps, next to' Woodrow Wilson. the most passionate champion of the league. * ko * Morocco.—Unexpected heavy rains held up the French in Morocco he- tween September 25 and 30. On the 30th they resumed their advance in the Kifane sector northward toward Ajdir, and.they continue to move forward slowly. consolidating their gains and making sure their com- munications. On October 2 the Span- ish captured Ajdir. which is some four miles from their shore base on Alhucemas Bay. Madrid is jubilant over this success, but fts importance may be easily exaggerated. Abd-el-Krim transferred his headquarters thence some time ago, along with most of the material of war coldected there. * ok ox % Germany.—At last the German government accepted the allied invi- tation to participate in a conference, in which the forelgn ministers of the participating governments should be the chief conferees, for further dis- cussion looking to a British-French- Belgian-Italian-German security pact. The conference is to begin tomorrow at the little Swiss town of Locarnoon, the Lago Maggiore. The delay of the German acceptance was due to the attitude of the Ger- who insisted that must be preceded by the Allied evacuation of the join the league. article 16 of the covenant would not be binding on Germany: a_pledge of disarmament of the member States of the league down to correspondence with Germany’s condition: certifica- tion by the allies of German fulfill- ment of the disarmament clauses of the treaty, an end to allied military control in Germany. and a pledge that the treaty provision contemplat ing league military supervision Germany would not be applied: re- It has an of acceptance following: logne: a pledge by IDEAL OF JUSTICE SEEN AS CHINA’S SALVATION Country Passing Through Period Such as Japan Had, Says Baron Shidehara, De- claring Exploitation Must Cease. BY DREW PEARSON. OKIO, JAJAN.—“China,” said Baron Shidehara, “is passing through much the same pe- riod which Japan experienced vears ago. Up until 1909 we had no right of our own free will to fix customs tariff upon foreign goods. p until 1899 we had no power to summon a foreigner living in our country before our courts. Still re- taining the memory of our own trying experience, we ‘are naturally sympa- thetlc with China’s struggle to eman- cipate herself from unilateral restric- tions placed upon her freedom of ac- tion.” Baron Shidehara was replying to a question from me regarding the cause of the turmoil in China and Japan's attitude toward the turmoil. I knew that Japan, more than any other country, was vitally interested in China, and also I knew that Baron Shidehara, more than any other Japanese, was in a position to give a penetrating diagnosis of the Chinese situation. Is Former Ambassador. Baron Shidehara has been minister of Japan's foreign affairs for about one year now. He is fat, forty and full of good humor. He was Ambassa- dor to the United States longer than any other Japanese diplomat and is supposed to have attended almost more base ball games than Walter Johnson himself. Baron Shidehara knows the United States. That is the first big reason he was selected for his present job, and that also is a compliment to this country. Furthermore, he speaks perfect English, which is the second reason. And in his faultless English he continued his diagnosis of China's malady and cure. “It took 20 years of assiduous toll,"” he sald, “for Japan to recover com plete judicial autonomy. I hope it may not take China so long. During those years we sent our young men to Europe and to America to study ‘Western law. We introduced all need- ed reforms in our law code and judi- clal system. We remodeled our pris- ons. We gave every assurance, in fact as well as in words, for the pro- tection of foreign lives and property within the empire. We did everything possible to remove all cause of ob- jections which the foreigner might have against being tried in Japanese courts. All this we went through be- fore we finally persuaded the foreign powers to relinquish their rights to extraterritoriality. Bad Judicial System. ‘hina faces much the same task. At present it cannot be said—and I speak in all fairness to the Chinese— that their judiclal system affords suf- ficlent guarantees of justice. Practi- cally every province is dominated by a military governor, whose authority supersedes that of the courts. And many of the Chinese prisons in the interior——" Baron Shidehara made a wry face. “But perhaps you have seen them for yourself. “What would happen,” I asked, “if foreigners in China relinquished their extraterritorial rights tomorrow?"” “About what has happened to the Germans in China. They were not able to rezain their extraterritorial rights afier the war. They must have realized today what measure of jus- tice they can obtain from the Chinese courts. When I asked Baron Shidehara ‘what he considered to be the solution Co- | league that, | scindment of the treaty restrictions concerning German aircraft, and, finally, a trumpet-tongued formal dis. claimer by the German government of German war-guilt. Obviously there could be no con- ference on such terms, so Hinden- berz, who wanted the conference, wielde® the big stick and cowed the Nationallsts into dropping their con- ditions. The acceptance, then, was unconditional, but the several Ger. man Ambassadors, when presenting the written acceptance to the foreign ofices, at London, Paris, Brussels and Rome, each, in the name of his Rovernment, made an oral disclaimer of German responsibility for the war. Now what was the idea? Many are asking whether Stresemann really ex- pected the disclaimer to get by with- out remark, and ‘hoped in the sequel plausibly to interpret silence as ac- quiescence? Others think that Stresemann had no wicked intention of compromising the allies, but was merely throwing a sop to the Nationalist Cerberus. Whatever the idea, the disclaimer did not get by without remark. Sharp notes were soon on their way to Ber- lin from London, Paris and Brussels. “The question of Germany's respon- stbility for the war is not raised by the proposed pact,” sald the British note, “and his majesty's government are at a loss to know why the Ger- man government have thought it proper to raise it at this moment. Flis majesty’s government are obliged to observe that negotiation of a se-| curity pact cannot modify the treaty | of Versailles or alter their judgment | of the past.” | The French and Belgian notes ob served to the same effect. You see, the whole justification of | exaction of reparations from Germany | is postulated on German guilt. as ar- ticle 231 of the treaty sets forth. The allies cannot allow the soupcon of a shadow of a hint thai they admit a doubt of German zuilt to gain cur- rency | A djinn of that sort must be kept in_his bottle. There = another element In the brew. Tehitcherin. the Muscovite for- eign minister, has chosen this juncture of affairs to go on his travels. He has been in Warsaw, where, for reasons too complicated for present notice, he was most enthusiastically recefved, and thence he went to Rerlin for a little talk with Stresemann on | the ‘eve of Locarno. Now consum- mation of the proposed security pact and entrance of Germany into the | eague would kill Tchicherin. That fabric of fond ho: based on the treaty of Rapallow, would melt | into air, into thin air. One ald | | wish to' know what stuff the wily | Tchicherin rounded into the ear of | Stresemann. ! The conference of Lacarno opens | tomorrow, and much hangs thereon. | The German Consolidated Railways | made & whooping profit in August, | considerably above the pre.war aver. age. | ko % Turkey.—Admiral Bristol, for seven vears past our high commissioner in Constantinople. is home on leave. He says that ratification by our Senate | of the Turko-American treaty, signed | in August, 1923, {s desired by Ameri. | cans resident in Turkey. and he him- | self recommends such ratification. He | seems to think that the great process | of transformation from the old Turkey of absolute monarchy to the new | of Turkey of the republic is proceeding. | annals ' though slowly and with many mis- { | of the Chinese problem he hesitated | & moment and then gave this explana- | tion: | Had Two Doctrine: | “Do you remember that when Sun Yat Sen was alive he had a tremen- dous following? TYet he kept that | following not by the means emploved | by other Chinese leaders. They had Funs, or troops, or money. Sun had none of these. His strength lay only in two doctrines. One was the abo- lition of the so-called unequal treaties with foreizners, and the other was the prevention of exploitation by the foreigners. “Sun Yat Sen was a great idealist But there is much in his platform which deserves serious consideration of the powers. We owe it to reason and justice to extend our helping hands to the Chinese, struggling for their legitimate national aspirations. Any reasonable proposals which they may bring up in that direction shall receive our sympathetic attention. Therein lies the key to the solution of the Chinese problem. It is ex- tremely unfortunate that a certain section of Chinese are now seeking to attain these objects by threats, violence and boycotting. Let us only hope that these disorderly manifesta- tions do not represent the true senti- ments of the Chinese people and will soon come to an end. Will Take Time. “Of course, vou must not under- stand from what I have already sald that the changes desired by the Chi- nese can be made immediately. But A start can be made soon. The Wash- ington customs treaty provided for a conference of the powers interested in China which will give China an in- crease In customs duties. A resolu- tion was also adopted at the Washing- ton conference for the establishment of an international commission to in- quire into the existing conditions of the administration of justice in China, with a view to eventual relinquish- ment by the several powers of their respective rights of extraterritoriality. The tariff conference and the extrater- ritoriality commission can now be called in the very near future.” Baron Shidehara had been talking earnestly and rapidly. Now he paused 2 moment and gave me time to ask a question regarding China’s attitude toward Japan. The Chinese, I knew, ‘were especially bitter toward the Brit- ish and the Japanese. The strikes against foreigners had originated in Japanese cotton mills in Shanghal, where Chinese workers had demanded higher wages. Yet on a previous visit to Shanghal I had personally inspect- ed the British, Japanese and Chinese cotton mills, and found the working and wage conditions in the Japanese mills to be superior to those in the others. Therefore, I asked the foreign minister why, despite this favorable treatment, the Chinese were especial- ly bitter toward Japan. Paying for Success. “We have paid the penalty of suc- cess. I think,” Baron Shidehara re- plied. “Since the war most of the cotton mills owned and operated by other nationals, Chinese or foreign, have not been paying dividends. Our jagain, and exportation of such prod. | to make the necessary investigations | and le. | of Rome | not see how it can be retarded by any mills have been paying 10 to 15 per cent in dividends. Japanese control| about 70 per cent of China's cotton in- dustry. That was how the Japanese became involved originally, and "how the Chinese workers came to focus their agitation against Japanese mills. 2 takes, could be ex- pected. He observes no ment in Turkey. as happily as pan-Islam move- nor any tendency that way. On the other hand, he notes (and this mostimportant) | that while the Turks are averse to all Influences from outside, they are | least of all cordial to Russian influ ence. Agricullure, he says, is picking up ucts as fig licorice root, figures. Americans, lar in Turkey. o o % The League.—The sixth league as sembly ended its labors on September 26. Tt fervently jndorsed the princi- ples informinz that protocol of arbi- tration, curity and disarmament, which ‘was voted by the fifth as. but fafled to secure the nec- v ratifications; but, unlike the fifth assembly, which was for rushing the millennium, it proposed a cautious and gradual application of those prin- ciples, It indorsed the method of approach to security by regional compacts, em- bodving 'the arbitration principle, whereof the proposed Rhine pact now under discussion is expected (or hoped) to be the zrand exemplar. It envisaged a time when international relations throughout the world carry- ing serfous danger of armed confiict should be fairly covered by a system of such compacts and thus a general atmosphere of security created to Justify general reduction of arma- ments. It provided for a committee mohalir, tobacco and | is approaching pre-war he declares, are popu- technical hat time. Pursuant to a resolution offered by M. Loucheur, it provided for a com- mittee for an’international conterence economic conference which should deal with the economic root. causes of war, &.. devising formulas aimed at in. ternational equilibrium of production and consumption and at curbing the dangerous tendency to economic na- tlonalism. It provided for preparation in com. mittee for an inttrnational conference looking to control of the private manu facture of arms, and instructed the committee to make haste with a draft convention. The above were achievements of the sixth league as sembly. To some. ‘“achievement™ would seem too august a term. As one pleases: at any rate, the sixth assembly dealt with the world as it is, not like the fifth, as in millennial mood one could wish it to be. It did not conjure up x4 baseless fabric l_v( cloud-capped towers. but contented itselt with layinz substantial bases. * ok x ox Miscellaneous.—Some months ago there was a military mutiny in Portu gal. which was suppressed by loyal troops with 2 trifle of bloodshed (1 killed and 73 wounded). Some of the mutineers were tried by court- martial and acquitted: they were, sald the court, inspired by patriotic mo- tive: They have a way Portugal. Iir.“Harvey J. Howard. the Amer- ican who was kndnaped in Manchuria by_bandits in July. has been rescued. The ramminz and sinking of the submarine S-31 by the steamer City off Block Island was the worst submarine disaster in our naval Of the submarine’s crew 33. onlv 3 survive paE preparations against the " principal of their own in Of course, the labor disnute was mere- 1y the signal fire of the trouble. The real cause was much deeper—the long- standing grievances which the Chinese have harbored against foreizn n. tions, as I have already discussed.” _I next asked Baron Shidehara if the liberal movement and the gradual tendency to give more power to the ! Japanese middle classes had been re. tarded by the passage of the American immigration law. “The liberal movement i: 0 stron; the world over,” he replied. ] “that 1 do one law passed in any one country. “Of course, there have heen certain conservatives in this country who, since the passing of the American immigration law, have said: ‘I told you s0.' Personally, my own position has been somewhat weakened." Check on Militarism. T reminded Baron Shidehara that prior to the immigration act, the Iib- eral or peace movement had been so strong in Japan that it was impossible for the government to introduce mili- tary training into the schools and col- leges. and that the students at Waseda University had so thoroughly hissed the minister of war and several ad-| mirals and generals who were holding A meeting to convert them to military training that the meeting was com pletely broken up. However, since the passing of the immigration act the minister of education had issued an order Introducing military training in the schools and not one word of protest had come from the students. Did this not prove, T asked, that the liberal movement had been retarded by the American immigration act? returned the minister prompt- because the military training been introduced in _the schools is merely a modification of the old form. We have always had con- scription in Japan. Every young man has had to serve two years in the army heretofore before he finished his schooling. This was a handicap to our young men because it took them away from the industry and commerce which they were just ready to enter at the most productive period of their life. We have merely changed this so that the length of training is reduced, the boy gets all his training while in school, and wastes no time getting to work after he leaves school.” “'Is there a real sentiment toward peace in Japan?" 1 asked. “You may be sure of it. There was a time In Japan's history. as in the history of any other nation. when militarism swayed the country. The situation has since undergone a com- plete change. Militarism is tolerated no longer. TIts usefulness exists no more. No man. however powerful in public life, can stem this trend of the PUBLIC OPINION SCORES VICTORY IN DEBT PARLEY' French and Americans, Anxious to Reach’ Agreement, Held Back by Political | Consequences of Overstepping Line. BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE. | that President Coolidze, in little lesd. NE great power umphant from the ineffective Franco-American debt nego- ations at Washington. That | power s public opinfon. In | the last analysis, it was that which | prevented what President Coolidze calls “the meeting of minds would have brought an agreement. | Both the American and the French | commissions were cager for a settle- ment. Both were prepared to, and did, make far-reaching concessions to | that end. But both finally balked when they reached a point at which | they feared the respective public opin- fons of their countries would withhold | approval. The Washington debt con- | ference has proved that the world, | after all, has been ‘“made safe for | democracy.” The day of arbitrary de. | cisions by presidents and premiers of | issues affecting the fortunes of na- | tions is gone. | The fate of M. Calliaux is, of course. | more directly at stake in connection | with the debt negotiations than is the fate of the Coolidge administration. French governments and ministers can be thrown out of office without no- tice whenever a majority of the Chamber of Deputies is dissatisfied with any given ministerfal action. No matter how substantial a majority a French cabinet commands in Parlia- ment. the latter always faces the pos sibility of repudiation and enforced | retirement. Opposition Is Bitter. The Painleve government now in power at Parls, and of which M. Calllaux was the authorized spokes. man in Washington, is sustained by a_majority made up of the so-called “Bloc of the Left.”” consisting largely | of the Moderate and Radical Soctal ists, of which M. Calllaux and former Premiers Briand and Herriot are lead- | ers. The minority consists of the “National Bloe,” whose leaders in clude powerful personalities like for' mer Premiers Poincare and Millerand This group is bitterly opposed to Cafllaux and everything he for. It thirsts for a chance to horse him. It would make ruthles capital for that purpose out of any settlement he might have made with the United States that could be rep. | resented to the Frerch people as un- fair or burdensome. This was the emerges tri- | stands | i | | pecter and the dan- | ger that Caillaux had before him| every minute of his hectie stay in Washington. He made few bones | about it. either in his official discus sions with the American negotiators or on private occaslons. Caillaux laid particular stress on the political e: igencles he had to face—that fs, French public opinion as represented | by Parllament—when he insisted upon having written into anyv fund- ing agreement the “security” clause which would permit France to cease | pavments whenever she might be hard pressed. Contrary to popular understanding in Washington, the| American commissioners did not ob- | ject to the inclusion of such a clause. | It was considered &0 obvious and | manifest a thing that France would | simply stop payments whenever she was unable to make them that the Americans saw no reason why there | shouldn't be forma! agreement on | that score. It was not the “security” proposition that caused the negotia- tions to collapse. Consequences Clear. Although the American commission is bipartisan (five Republicans and three Democrats), the President’s ap- proval is provided for by law in the case of any funding agreement the commission makes. It is, therefore, essentially an administration arm. That aspect is emphasized by the fact that three members of the commis- sion—Messrs. Mellon, Kellogg and Hoover—are cabinet officers. In ad- dition, administration leaders in both | Senate and House — respectively, Mesars. Smoot and Burton—are on the commission. Thus, it came about | degree than M. Caillau: {an unpopular deht settlement |51, | would mnot | authoritative quarter d to bear in mind the political consequences of There is a general election impending ‘in the United States. Control of ti Seventieth Congress will be ar stakp in 1926. The Democratic Whien | eager for a victorious campai It was necessary for the Coolidge ac of G ard the taxpayer the custodi to safeg: ministration, as O. P. fortunes. interests of the American in dealing with the French political advantage could he therefrom by the Democratic It is contended by the commissioners that the our taxpayers was incessantly uppe: most in thefr minds. “Tha why_ the commissioners’ final statement 1o the French pointed out t Ithough France offerinz America gregate of . $6,200.000,000, the value of that sum, if paid in (upon the basis of interest which we hear on Liberty honds) is only about 50,000,000, Then the conimission further set forth that the latteg, amount comrares “with over $4,100- 000,000 which we have to meet ;'V, charges upon our taxpavers in respet to the loans to France America's Limit Clear. The Americans felt thev could nets justify before their public opinion. The takinz of any less than the asked the French 1o give. just a= M. Caillau proclaimed that French public ontnion permit him to offer ans payment terms than those he v submirted. Our commissioners it will he easv. if it become¥ necessary. to show the American peo ple that M. Caillaux's figures seems far more impressive than they really are. In other words, the French talked about paving us $6.000.000.000: odd of “stage money.” which has ame actual value of considerably less thajy two billlong of real money A mem ber of the United States commission puts it graphically in these fizures: ‘The actual 1925 worth of any $106 000,000 pledzed by the French over, a spread of 63 vears is just about_ £4,000,000." The Coolidge erican of hetter finall administration s ire no fear that it can be successfully charged with Shylockian tactics, toward the French. either by the ad ministration’s dome: political fobe or in France itself. There is bount to be criticism of the failure to fund the entire debt when cusses it next Winter ter Glass of Virginia is expected ta° lead the Democratic attack on ther unreadiness of the American commisg slon fo be more generous the French. This former Democratic Sec retary of the Treasury and financial authority s at his best when dge bating money matters and. if he take: the firing line, a vigorous opposition will be launched . Borah Expected to Senator Borah pre ) 1 open, up hie guns on the French nezntia tions. too. when he has had time ® figure out exactly how much more, lenient the American commission was, to France than it was to Great Brit’ aln. This writer has heard from af that the finals represents in roung, £600.000,010 Act offer to France figures an advantage over and above the settlement Wwa” imposed upon the British in 1423, Th difference is mainly in the vastiv.lows. er interest rate offered the French. On one subject the American com missioners were politely silent durin3? the French negotiations. They mizin have pointed out that the maximwn. annual payment France was make is hardly more than « of the amount she annually sy on defensive armament against a faen which, at least for the indefinite fu;, ture, is prostrate. It was not con., sidered courteous to suggest to M. Caillaux that economy in that diresr | tion would go far toward reducing the, French debt to Amer (Coprright. 1925 SUNSHINE CURE HELPS BRAINS, ° LONDON SCIENTISTS DISCOVER: Ultra Violet Ray Treatments Improve Mentality of Patients, Tests Made in English Schools and Hospitals Reveal. BY DR. EDWIN E. SLOSSON. Tt has been known for some years that the ultra-violet rays, whether they come from the sunlight or the mercury-quartz lamp, will greatly ben- fit and often cure children crippled by | rickets or tuberculous joints. It is now found that light treatment not only betters their bones and improves their general health, but also bright- ens their brains and sweetens their dispositions. A class of boys from the London slums who were taken to the garden of a private house on Clapham Com- mon, where they studied and played all day long, attired in ‘“very short shorts and no shirts,” showed at the end of six weeks that even such feeble sunlight as London affords had in- creased their mental capacity and alertness as well as their apvetites. A comparison of the results of men- tal tests made in the special schools for physically defective children in London with those made on the chil- dren who had taken the light treat- ment at the Lord Mavyor Treloar Crip- ples’ Hospital at Alton showed a marked superiority for those who had the advantage of the sunshine. Both groups of children were naturally re- tarded on account of their disease, but the mental retardation of the London children was on the average 1.95 vears, while that of the Alton children was 1.14 years. Both groups were about the same age, 11 vears, and the London children had had more modern world."” (Copyright. 1825.) Brooks Comet Not Yet Found by Astronomers - Brooks' comet, one of the seven periodic visitors to the earth that have been expected this year, the dis- covery of which was reported by an astronomer at Kiev, Russia, has not been located in the sky by astrono- mers at-the United States Naval Ob- servatory, even though on several clear nights the big 25-inch telescope has been used to search for it. According to Prof. Asaph Hall, astronomer in charge of this instru- ment, the position among the stars given for the Kiev observation was evidently in error. Report of a second observation at the Simeis Observatory, in Crimea, Russia, has just been re- ceived through Dr. Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard College Ob. servatory, and on the first night that weather 'conditions are _sufficiently g0od Prof. Hall will hunt for it again. According to the new report, the comet is in the constellation of Aqua- rigp and fs of the fwelfth magnitude. schooling. Rays Improve Nutrition. Sir Henry Gauvain, superintendent of the Treloar Hospital, in reporting these results is careful to add: “It is not our object to aim a blow at the solidly founded theory that in- telligence is innate and cannot be in- creased. It is probably quite indis- putable that an individual's amount of mental _energy is fixed and unalter- able. But it is unalterable in the same way that the maximum power of an engine is unalterable. An engine of a maximum of 40 horsepower can by no trick be made any more power- ful. But the ways are legion whereby it can be made less powerful—a dirty sparking plug. a faulty magneto, dust in a delicate plece of mechanism—any of these things and many others may reduce its power far below 40. It is suggested that the case is no different with mental energy. “We advance the suggestion. which further investigation may confirm or disprove, that ultra-violet light, shown to be an important factor in effecting tissue change, may thus improve the nutrition of the. gray matter of the brain and in this way Increase the out- put of mental activity which we claim follows judicious exposure fo light."” A more exact test was made at hound immobile to their heds. The diet and treatment of all were the’ same, but 10 of the children wera given systematic treatment with arti. ficial light. Sir Henry Gauvain re ports: Mental Effect Marked. “While the physique of those recei ing light treatment showed improve ment as compared with the others, tha. effect on the mentality was even more definite. Those exposed to light werd markedly happier, more vivaciouss more alert and, I may add, more mis~ chievous b “They would often laugh and sing' and appeared to be overflowing widf" animal spirits, while their fellows re- mained silent.” So if any parents or teachers find their children are not mischievots enough they may liven them up a bis. by letting a_little sunshine in. By, not too much or too long at a time. Interrupted and periodic exposure A&t solar ravs is superior to continual treatment. Five or ten minutes at_a time at first, gradually increasing <o as to produce tanning without burs-* ing. And remember that window glaas. is opaque to the short ravs that are, wanted. So is clothing. except tha very thinnest. Artificial silk. rayon. is more permeable to these rays than natural silk, but even lightest fabric of artificial silk will cut off more than half of the ultra-violet rays. Thouzh,_ it be the brain that one wants to stim ulate, “diréct action” is dangeroue.’ Hats or eve shades are usually needed,. Every one who has dabbled in pho-, tography knows how variable ‘sun- light is in fts proportion of the short waves that affect a sensitive plates: and the same is true of a sensitive skin. Ten minutes of sunning wilf sometimes raise a blister. and on am!’ other day when the daylight seems equally bright one can stand an ex- posure for hours without blushing or browning. A photographic exposur meter or strip of sensitive paper cafr serve as a test of the actinic .apd: therapeutic intensity of the light, On account of the variable and uncertain character of sunlight, hospitals:ofteh prefer to use the rays given off lay-the mercury-quartz or carbon arc lagps, where the dose can be definitely regu- lated. EvCatui ———. No Corner There. From the Birmingham News. o England can pay through her mo- nopoly of rubber, but poor France hasn’t even a monopoly of naughfy books any more. —————— The Real Need.— From the Danville Bee. . Alton on a ward containing 20 small children, all aMicted with tuberculous disease of the spine, and therefore New vest-pocket battery will rin"d car 10 days. But what we nced is & Ppockethook that will run one forever.