Treaty of Sèvres (1920); World War, 1914-1918 -- Territorial questions -- Turkey; World War, 1914-1918 -- Turkey
The Bishop of Western Pennsylvania, after holding France responsible
for the present situation because it owned millions of dollars of
Turkish securities, declared: “Though I love England and France, we
must let these two countries know that we will not shake hands with
them so long as they hold out their hands to the sanguinary Turk.”
Messages from Senator Lodge, the presidents of Harvard and Princeton
Universities, M. Myron, T. Herrick, and other Americans of mark were
read; asking President Wilson and the Supreme Council that the Ottoman
rule in Constantinople should come to an end. Motions were also carried
requesting that the Turks should be expelled from Europe, that the
Christians should no longer be kept under Moslem sway, and that the
Allies should carry out their engagements with regard to Armenia.
Another movement, similar in character to the American one, was started
in England at the same time.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, with the other Anglican bishops and some
influential men, addressed a similar appeal to the British Government.
Twelve bishops belonging to the Holy Synod of Constantinople sent a
telegram to the Archbishop of Canterbury, entreating his support that
no Turk might be left in Constantinople. In his answer, the Archbishop
assured the Holy Synod that the Anglican Church would continue to do
everything conducive to that end.
The Bishop of New York also telegraphed to the Archbishop of Canterbury
on behalf of about a hundred American bishops, to thank him for
taking the lead in the crusade against the retention of the Turks in
Constantinople. The Archbishop replied that he hoped America would
assume a share in the protection of the oppressed nationalities in the
East.
The personality of the promoters plainly showed that religious
interests were the leading factors in this opposition, and played a
paramount part in it, for the instigators of the movement availed
themselves of the wrongs Turkey had committed in order to fight against
Islam and further their own interests under pretence of upholding the
cause of Christendom.
So, in February, after the formidable campaign started in Great Britain
and the United States, at the very time when the treaty of peace with
Turkey was going to be discussed again, and definitely settled, the
retention of the Turkish Government in Constantinople was still an open
question.
On February 12 the Anglo-Ottoman Society addressed to Mr. Lloyd George
an appeal signed by Lord Mowbray, Lord Lamington, General Sir Bryan
Mahon, Professor Browne, Mr. Marmaduke Pickthall, and several other
well-known men, referring to the pledge he had made on January 5, 1918,
to leave Constantinople to the Turks. The appeal ran as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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