Page:The Rebirth Of Turkey 1923.pdf/158

 and clause 11 stipulated that "wireless telegraphy and cable stations" were "to be controlled by the Allies, Turkish Government messages excepted." In accordance with these clauses, Allied officers had been assigned to all Turkish ports for control and intelligence purposes. Clause 21 had provided for "an Allied representative to be attached to the Turkish Ministry of Supplies in order to safeguard Allied interests," but the attachment of an Allied representative would seem to be no more a synonym for military occupation than the use of ship repair facilities or the control of wireless and cable stations.

Allied occupation of Batum was provided in clause 15 and Allied occupation of Baku was mentioned. "Allied occupation of Dardanelles and Bosphorus forts" was specifically stipulated in clause 1, but is the Pera suburb of Constantinople one of the "Dardanelles and Bosphorus forts"? "Secure access to the Black Sea" was stipulated in clause 1 and clause 7 gave the Allies "the right to occupy any strategic points in the event of a situation arising which threatens the security of the Allies." But no such situation had arisen at Constantinople and it is difficult to imagine how it could have arisen with the capital lying under the guns of as great a fleet of battleships as lay in the Bosphorus. It is true that the mere appearance of Allied men of war off the city so affected its Greek minority as to bring about a most explosive situation, of which Rauf Bey had warned Admiral Calthorpe at Mudros. But a military occupation seems to be quite a different matter from the temporary landing of troops to restrain the Greeks. It is also true that Constanti