te” og aly “HATTIE ELIZABETH LEWIS MEMORIAL ESSAYS IN APPLIED CHRISTIANITY AMERICA AND THE NEAR EAST BY ,, i RHEA ENSIGN + Vv HATTIE ELIZABETH LEWIS MEMORIAL —__ af it ism tai — / by iki ¢ . a ' 2 +) } iT i ti ESSAYS IN APPLIED CHRISTIANITY // \ NUMBER IX AMERICA AND THE NEAR EAST by RHEA ENSIGN Essay winning first prize in competition of 1923 University of Kansas ELEVENTH AWARD er ‘f i ' iy si Avon Or 5 - ‘ ¥, if 4 { , " i; ~ AY, Y ’ . { ' a Mi LY : ’ ! i i yaa ia | Fl 4 hi DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM PRESS» AN La CooAL NC a a UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS | | By ial Wala LAWRENCE ~ eT (ie Le} My i iy We 1 uh 4 } af Ad he } : i 7 Hi } fi ‘' . 4 j ‘a ) - P 4 ‘ Nb Yhug ie i [ ‘ ay 2 r » 4 j A i i ! t ‘ * ied, te eee ae figs ee ken ait AN We iytinr: wali uP PREFATORY NOTE THE HATTIE ELIZABETH LEwis MEMORIAL This Memorial was established in the University of Kansas in 1911, in memory of Hattie Elizabeth Lewis, a former student of the University. It was founded by Professor George Edward Patrick, of Washington, D. C., and is maintained out of funds put into the hands of the Chancellor of the University a few months before Professor Patrick’s death, which occurred March 22, 1916. Professor Patrick was a member of the faculty of the University of Kansas from 1874 to 1883. He and Miss Lewis were married in 1883. Mrs. Patrick died in 1909. The Memorial takes the form of an annual competi- tion in essay writing, open to all students of the Uni- versity of Kansas. The general theme of the essays submitted in this competition is “The Application of the Teachings of Jesus to the Practical Affairs and Re- lations of Life, Individual, Social, Industrial, Commer- cial, or Political; but each essay must deal with a single definite subject, or a single phase of life. In the competition for the year 1922-23, the University com- mittee in charge of the competition prescribed as the particular phase of the general theme to which con- testants were to be confined: “American Policy in Foreign Affairs.” CONTENTS ne Leacnine'’s Of vel GSUS? tists... ticccc meee eas pe RD UME AN ff A. Sources. -B. Method of interpretation. C. His principles. EGR CIGAR eet Ee Me eu ee Cl Acie A 18 A. The historical background. B. The inherent problems. Relation of the United States to the Near East ........ 20 A. The reason for American interest in the Near East. B. World politics. C. Humanitarianism. } a: 4 9 i ' Wi y, , L ( ¥ a 7 ian irids \ * ‘¢ i ° 4 a J , 4 e AT ‘ 4) LAY Find ’ eit y . Vane eel \ iW ie i j rf ‘ J - { v Mier i “EPA: | ’ | : a AF , ' vA! i ; Vy a a if at ¢ P , PY : . nn aa? 9 a i ; j i . Bye! Fa \8 ‘ Cee ‘i Yuna’ 5 ' nee 4 YA? ; te a ‘ ne eg a4 ib oe pia gt) oe 6) Aa dw ¢ hak 4 Ni j Sade | vay : ' ; f if {} 4 . A My Ceer eld ; yt \ ee i : 1h : iy Uy meee th vit i ti 7 { ry ’ : i aerys ‘ hauls a Res vin y ' 1 Neth 7 ’ , : er ’ * t * y n*) pire F 4 uh ¥ alr | vi . ae ia) \ £ ’ a 5: ge : - ‘ 1 vi val Bo ac . mf A): OR A Be ace : J Ae ee es Be) igs PM aE) a t | pe ‘ - * ti ! ~ P| (ar th ; My Pe i ah ras > 1 by | AMERICA AND THE NEAR EAST An application of the teachings of Jesus to the relation of the United States to the Near East. I. THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS Despite the innumerable controversies about the origin and authenticity of the New Testament, we know that we possess, in each of the first four books of the New Testa- ment, a body of teachings and a partial biography of a great personality that Christian nations accept as the most per- fect known expression of the higher value of life. The ac- counts vary in detail and are somewhat supplementary to one another, having been written several decades after the death of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke show evidence of a common origin, but are not in strict har- mony with the more theological and mystical gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels, however, afford us a working basis for determining the characteristics of the life and teachings of Jesus. An interpretation of the teachings of Jesus must nec- essarily allow for modification owing to the time, author- ship and translations of the records, and to the Oriental customs and modes of speech; but in a larger measure it must take account of the purpose of the life of Jesus, his personality and example, and the needs and characteristics of our present civilization. The purpose of the life of Jesus was essentially moral and religious in its nature, as is evidenced in such expres- sions as: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his rizhteousness,’* and “Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sis- ter, and mother.’? He was of the world, yet above its ma- terialism. Not the temptation of wealth, nor of fame, nor of political power could prevail upon him to use his marvel- ous talents for anything other than the furtherance of the 1. Matthew 6:88. 2. Matthew 12:50. 8 Essays in Applied Christianity kingdom of God. He was a revolutionist in thought, yet his energy was not spent in the direct overthrow of exist- ing institutions, but in instilling right ideals in individuals, that would find expression, by gradual developments, in permanent reforms. His aim was to cause the individual to look inward to discover “the beam” in his own eye, to “cleanse the inside of the cup;” then to look upward to the heavenly father as revealed by him, to find the way of life; and to look outward upon the world to serve it and better it. With this conception of Jesus’ purpose in mind, namely, the inspiring of individuals to seek and live up to the high- est religious truths and ideals, we can better understand why his teachings were so fragmentary and individualistic; why he did not become the leader of a great political or so- cial party ; and why he left no definite rules for the function- ing of great organizations, such as the state. This is often the stumbling block in the application of his teachings to mocern problems, but it is the very reason why the prin- ciples of Jesus have persisted; it gives them a universal scope because they do not apply only to one time, place, or stage of civilization, but to the individual and to humanity. The purpose which inspired the teachings of Jesus also inspired his life, and no interpretation of his teachinggs is adequate without a consideration of his personality and ex- ample. These give unity to his teachings and explain ap- parent inconsistencies. When John, in prison, sent to know whether the Messiah had truly come, Jesus’ answer was to point out the kind of work he was doing, and the example which he was setting before the people. His primary in- terest was in religion, but in a religion woven into the very fabric of daily life. As one writer says, “Spirituality to him was the solid materialism of life, shot through with purpose and so made incandescent and luminous.’* And another, “He was no inventor of new things, but a discoverer of the spiritual! significance of things known to men to be ordin- ary.”* His personality was so powerful that his disciples 8. Rihbany: The Syrian Christ, p. 57. 4. lv otib The Call of the Carpenter, p. ° America and the Near East 9 accepted his assertions of divinity and infallibility without a question, and for centuries men have worshipped this lowly carpenter’s Son as divine. The person of Jesus binds together, and by example, reinforces, verifies, and vitalizes his teachings. Jesus spoke of himself as the fulfilment of the law and the prophets; his followers accepted him as the promised Messiah; but the Oriental world of two thousand years ago is far removed from our Western civilization of the twen- tieth century, and we must interpret him in the light of modern conditions and trends of thought. For instance, the growth of science has made belief in demoniacal possession and multiplication of the loaves and fishes an impossibility. To us is denied, also, the simplicity of living of the time of Jesus. Our life has become so complex, so inextricably bound up with the lives of others and with world events that we cannot dwell apart if we would. With Jesus, inter- dependence, cosmopolitanism, democracy, looking after the welfare of the world,—all were primarily questions of re- ligious principles; with us, they are questions of necessity. Many of these things which Jesus advocated for world bet- terment, with religious ends in view, are accomplished facts of today, dependent upon economic, political, social and cul- tural factors. Modern life is more than complex; it is moving at such a rapid rate of progress that the “insane rush of our times” has become a bugbear of philosophers and ministers. We do not take time to think over and judge carefully either the issues of the day or the guiding principles of our courses of action. The early years of Jesus’ life were spent. in quiet and meditative preparation, and during his min- istry he often spent whole nights in prayer. This is in- conceivable and practically impossible for us, but we should realize that the teachings of Jesus were the fruit of several years of contemplation, and approach them for study, as far as possible, in the spirit in which they were conceived. The interpretation of these teachings is largely dependent upon 10 Essays in Applied Christianity the age which interprets them, and by considering the pur- pose and personality of the Master, they are found as ap- plicable for one age as for another. His principles are deep enough and broad enough to serve as a universal standard of conduct for nations as well as for individuals. One of the great principles emphasized by Jesus was that of justice, not mere legal justice, but moral justice. What a picture of righteous wrath is that in which Jesus scourges the unjust scribes and Pharisees with these sting- ing rebukes: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo- crites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith........... ”5 'The sight of the money changers in the temple aroused Jesus to drive them out angrily, cry- ing, “IMy house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’® Injustice and hypocrisy went hand in hand, then as now, and again and again in re- bukes and parables, Jesus condemned them. The suffering and sin brought about by the unscrupulous dealings of the ruling classes stirred him to the depths, and, at the jeopardy of his own life, he protested against such injustice. But Jesus insisted on more than justice in the relations of one person to another. He desired men to have sym- pathy, mercy, democracy, and interest, in their attitudes toward one another, and all these he summed up in his com- mandment, “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”? The Good Samaritan of the parable has become a symbol of the spirit of brotherly love which was so essentially a part of the life of Jesus. No man, hum- ble and poor, or wealthy and influential, was denied his help. He reverenced the personality of his fellow beings so much that he violated the tradition of his people to lift up an out- cast, to dine with beggars and publicans, and to open his kingdom to Gentile as well as Jew, thus sweeping away na- tional and racial barriers and impressing men with their worldwide obligations. He recognized always the common 5. Matthew 23:23. 7. Luke 6:31. 6. Matthew 21-13. America and the Near East 11 tie of humanity which bound men together into one great brotherhood. Not that all of the brothers were equal in tal- ent, wealth, and social standing, yet that each should be treated by others with a spirit of helpfulness, democracy, and understanding. The world is greatly indebted to Jesus for the ideal of democracy, as the following statement by an eminent historian testifies: “By placing emphasis on the equality of all men in the sight of God, regardless of rank or wealth, and by enjoining all Christians to love their neighbors as themselves, Christianity gave Europe a great and lasting lesson—a lesson however slowly learned—in true democracy.’® And Jesus extended his brotherhood of men to enemies as well as friends, saying, “Love your en- enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.’® How well Jesus lived his teaching of love for humanity is shown in his dying words, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’’?° Closely akin to the idea of brotherhood of men is that of humanitarianism, which, however, deals more specific- ally with the relief of distress and suffering. ‘For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ Jesus was frequently “moved with compassion” because of the physical suffering of the people about him, and he spent much time and energy in relieving it. Accustomed as we are to elaborate organizations of charitable work, the heal- ing of the sick and the feeding of the poor as practiced by Jesus seems inefficient and superficial. It is difficult to con- ceive of the simplicity of the methods used by Jesus to carry out his life plan. His teaching was individualistic; as too was his healing and charity individualistic. He saw that spiritual and mental health must be accompanied by phys- ical health and economic health, so he ministered to phys- ical wants at the same time that he preached the gospel of 8. Hayes: Political and Social His- 10. Luke 28:84. tory of Modern Europe, v. 2, p. 101. 11. Matthew 25:85, 36. 9. Matthew 5:44. 12 Essays in Applied Christianity the kingdom of heaven. The important fact to note is that Jesus felt relief work to be a vital part of his contribution to the world and commanded his followers to continue their humanitarian work. Jesus possessed one heroic trait without which his per- sonality could never have impressed the world as it has,— he was not afraid to hold frankly and consistently to his ideals. It required moral courage of a high degree, on one hand, to disavow the traditions and expectations of his own race; and, on the other hand, for him,—a man of the lower, tribute-paying class,—to rebuke and defy the scribes and Pharisees, behind whom loomed the Roman Government, cruel, powerful, menacing. Great courage is often born at the hour of great crisis, but few can consistently maintain such a high level of courage as Jesus did. His courage was more than physical, although he suffered stonings and scourgings and even death on the cross; it was moral and mental. He deliberately chose to uphold those principles which he knew would cause him to be hated and persecuted. Never did he waver or turn aside from his purpose in life. But his determination was also tempered with discretion and wisdom. People of his day and of succeeding ages were astonished at the wisdom of this man of Nazareth. He al- ways succeeded in escaping the religious disputes and po- litical traps in which the scribes and Pharisees and the Sad- ducees sought to ensnare him. He realized the craftiness of the “children of the world,” and said to his disciples as he sent them forth to preach, “‘Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as ser- pents, and harmless as doves.’’!” Justice, brotherly love, humanitarianism, moral and mental stamina,—how definitely these principles were mani- fested in the life of Jesus, yet how difficult they are to ap- ply to modern problems! They are so far-reaching in their application and so many factors are at work to check their operation, that men disregard their possibilities and values. Christianity has failed, it is said, because it has not pre- 12. Matthew 10:16. America and the Near Last 13 vented war, but, as Mr. Fosdick has asked, was there ever before a time in which there was popular recognition of the incongruity of war and Jesus’ teachings?!* The teachings have not failed; they simply have not been thought to have any relation to war. In like manner, condemnation of the value of the principles of Jesus in the solution of world problems is unwarranted when his principles have never been applied to these problems. Il. THE NEAR EAST Before considering how the principles of Jesus would affect the relation of the United States to the Near East, the problems of the Near East must be studied. No true application of these principles is possible without an under- standing of the historical background and the present situ- ation in the Near East. Historically, the Near East, which centers about the entrance to the Black Sea and includes the eastern Mediter- ranean region, Asia Minor, and southeastern Europe, has been the battleground where East has met West and bar- barity has met civilization. Wave after wave of conquests passed over the land, each leaving its own peculiar deposit of race and civilization. With the coming of the Ottoman Turks, Europe found herself, during the medieval period of decay, menaced by a strong Oriental power. The Otto- mans invaded Europe and secured a foothold across the Straits from which every effort has failed to dislodge them. The Turks are feared and abhorred among the nations of the world. Their government has become a byword for inefficiency, cruelty, persecution, and deceit. Like a plague, wherever it has gone it has left misery, poverty, and dread in its wake. Its subject peoples have been reduced to an abject state of subserviency and lack of self-respect by vicious taxation and religious persecution; its courts have 18. Harry E. Fosdick: The Challenge of the Present Crisis. 14 Essays in Applied Christianity been markets for the sale of judgments; its officials have been unscrupulous tyrants. Turkish ‘policies have been in keeping with the corrupt character of its government. The exploitation of the lower classes has been intensified, in the treatment of non-Mos- lems, to the point of wholesale massacres. The Armenian Christians have been esnecially the victims of Moslem fan- atacism and atrocities. The Moslem religion has also been largely responsible for the degraded position of women in the Empire, the doctrine being held by many that women have no souls. Education has been denied the mass of the people, and foreign schools and missions are looked upon with suspicion. The Turk has not confined his attention to internal af- fairs but has intervened in European politics whenever given an opportunity to exert “his traditional policy of play- ing one Christian nation against another.’! Times with- out number, he has succeeded in preserving himself when threatened by the great powers, by creating dissensions in the enemy camp. European powers have set him a good example, for they have repeatedly used Turkey as a pawn in their diplomatic games, notwithstanding their mistrust and condemnation of the government. Decay of power and authority was inevitable with the Turkish system, and this became more and more apparent during the nineteenth century. At the same time, the sub- ject peoples of Turkey-in-Kurope were swept by a tide of nationalism that resulted in revolts against the Sultan and the establishment of the independent Balkan states which were protected by European powers. “Revolt, accompanied by European intervention, has been the history of Turkey in the nineteenth century.’ The Near East has been torn first one way and then another, according to the situation among the great powers. Euro- pean intervention in 1830 preserved the independence of Greece, which led to the Russo-Turco war by which the 14. Review of Reviews, March 1923, 15. Schevill: Political History of p. 265. Frank H. Simonds: Lau- Modern Europe, p. 494. sanne. America and the Near East 15 Sultan was forced to withdraw from the direct sovereignty of Siberia and Roumania. Turkey would have been con- quered by its revolting vassal, Egypt, if the Powers had not supported the Sultan in 1841. Then followed the Crimean War, with Russia as the aggressor, in which Turkey was again saved by England and France. A third Russo-Turco war broke out in 1877 after a successful revolt of Roumania, Herzegovina, and Serbia against the Sultan. By the treaty of San Stefano, the Sultan was deprived of his European possessions except Constantinople and Albania, but, under the leadership of England, Europe refused to recognize the treaty. At the Berlin Congress, Roumania, Serbia, and Montenegro were declared independent; Herzegovina and Bosnia were given to Austria to be occupied for an indefi- nite length of time; North Bulgaria was made semi-inde- pendent; and South Bulgaria and Macedonia were restored to Turkey. Serbia later protested against the voluntary union of North and South Bulgaria, and would have been destroyed in the war with Bulgaria which followed if Aus- tria had not intervened. In 1908 Austria annexed Bosnia which Serbia claimed on nationalistic grounds, and a gen- eral European conflict was averted only by the withdrawal of support of Serbia by the rest of Europe. German influence in Turkey inspired the Young Turk Movement, which gave promise of reform of the govern- ment and internal conditions. Little was accomplished, however, and subsequent revolts and massacres in Mace- donia led. to the Balkan war of 1912-3 in which Turkey lost all her territory in Europe except that around Constanti- nople and the Straits. The opposition of Serbia to the Ger- man-Austrian plan to build a railway from Berlin to Bag- dad, via Constantinople, led directly to the World War, for Serbia was supported by other nations who were alarmed at the concessions granted to Germany by Turkey and feared the growth of her imperial power. During the War, Turkey played the part of a German tool, but, being internally so decadent, lost steadily to the 16 Essays in Applied Christianity Allies and totally collapsed in 1918. The perplexities of her situation delayed the drawing up of a peace treaty until the summer of 1920. The ideas embodied in the treaty were as follows: the internationalization of the Straits; mandatory supervision of Mesopotamia by Great Britain, and Syria by France; the mapping out of economic spheres of influence in the Ottoman Empire for the great powers; the establish- ment of an Armenian state; the subordination of the Sultan as a political figure; and the understanding that Greece would be allowed to conquer Smyrna. The United States was offered, but refused to accept, mandates over Armenia and Turkey. The pacifications of the Balkan States pre- vious to this treaty imposed indemnities upon Bulgaria, de- prived her of Thrace, and divided Macedonia between Greece and Serbia. In this review of the history of the Near East to the peace treaties of 1919-20, the inherent problems of the Near Hast are apparent. One of the basic problems is that of racial and national- istic complexities. The many remnants of the barbarians from Asia and the North, of Oriental peoples, and of Euro- peans have not been fused into a compact nation, but each has persisted in its own peculiar customs, institutions, and culture. Jealousies, massacres, and guerilla warfare have been the bane of the Near East for centuries. The Turk, an Oriental barbarian and self-imposed ruler of the others, has wrought more diabolically and purposively than his sub- ject nations and tribes, but the history of the Balkan states proves that brutality, murder, and injustice are not confined to the Turk. The racial feeling is intensified by accompanying re- ligious differences—and religious forms are of vital import- ance to the peoples of the Near East. The primary divis- ions of religions are Moslem, and non-Moslems, the latter embracing a multitude of sects, distinct from and jealous of each other. If Christianity had been able to preserve its unity, instead of having been distorted into many forms America and the Near East 17 hardly recognizable as Christian, the history of the Near East might have been radically different. Religion, as well as the government, has held the people in bondage and ig- norance. The government has ruled their bodies; the priests have ruled their souls. Speaking of the Syrian’s at- titude toward life, Mr. Rihbany says that life to him is ‘neither an evolution nor an achievement, but an inherii- ance.’ Religious differences, too, have caused dissensions and evil wars. The frequent massacres of Armenians, Greeks, and Syrians throughout the nineteenth century were largely due to revivals of Moslem fanaticism endeavor- ing to destroy that which it could not subdue. Enough has been said of the Turkish government to give a definite idea of it as an important problem in the Near East; and in addition the importance of international! politics has been indicated. The policies underlying Euro- pean intervention have been mostly imperialistic. Russia has dreamed of possessing Constantinople ever since the time of Catherine the Second. Austria has aspired to ex- pand southward and control the Balkan region. Great Britain has feared the influences of another great power in the Eastern Mediterranean because it would imperil her commercial interests and her communication with Egypt and India. Germany, although a late entrant into the fray, visioned an Asiatic empire for herself. France, having di- rected her interest to North Africa, was concerned primar- ily in maintaining the balance of imperial power among the nations. The rise of the Balkan states caused modifications of the imperialistic schemes of the European powers, and popular sympathies have influenced governmental policies, but, in the main, international diplomacy with regard to the Near East has been unjust, selfish, and despicable. The World War was a conflict of these international policies, and a great vision was seen by the people of the world of an end to strife, and of democratic right triumph- ant over imperialistic and autocratic wrong. But after the 16. Rihbany: The Syrian Christ, p. 242. 18 Essays in Applied Christianity Armistice, the people saw with fear and bewilderment, their idealism shattered before the force of the old policies and the revival of secret diplomacy. The United States reacted with a policy of non-intervention in European policies al- though she has not withdrawn completely from affairs in the Near East. Opposition to the pacification of 1920 was at once ap- parent among the Arabs and Turks, the latter resuming their policy of persecution and massacre. Another compli- cation appeared with the unexpected rise of a new political party, the Nationalists, in Turkey, under Kemal Pasha. This party opposed the extension of Greek influence in Asia Minor, and in August, 1922, its army attacked the Greeks in Smyrna, defeating them so decisively that they agreed to evacuate Asia Minor. Great Britain at once hastened her Atlantic fleet to the Dardanelles in order to prevent the seiz- ure of the Straits by Turkey. An armistice was declared at Mudania by which the Greeks were to evacuate Thrace in fifteen days. November 20, 1922, a conference to settle the Near East situation was opened at Lausanne, with a definite return to secret diplomacy, and with the United States rep- resented unofficially. There were two great issues at stake at this confer- ence, the status of Turkey, and the Anglo-French policy. Great Britain wanted to retain her protectorates in the Near East, especially in Mosul, important as a link in the Bagdad railway and as a potential oil region. France, sup- ported by Italy who was angered by British support of Greece, demanded as the price of helping England in the Near East British support of her position in Europe.1? Turkey, taking advantage of the threatened break in the Allied position and abetted by Russia, pushed her de- mands to the utmost. Kemal Pasha demanded the evacua- tion of Greeks from the Empire, the control of the Straits, and the right to abrogate all treaties and capitulations prior to 1918. 17. Review of Reviews, March 1923, p. 265. Frank H. Simonds: Lau- sanne, America and the Near East 19 The United States, in its unofficial capacity, insisted on the open door for Turkey, the right to protect Americans in Turkey, non-evacuation of the Greeks, guarantees of the rights of minority peoples in Turkey, and the establishment of an Armenian National Home; and also questioned the right of economic monopoly in Mosul by Great Britain. After three months of diplomatic sparring, the con- ference broke up without any definite settlement. Turkey is still bound by the Mudania Armistice which confirmed her acquisition of Thrace and Constantinople, and the evac- uation of the Greeks from those regions. The world is ap- prehensive, however, of Turkish policies which are sup- ported by Soviet Russia. Dr. Barton of Roberts College, Constantinople, a delegate at Lausanne, does not trust Turkish promises of reform. When news reached Lausanne of the thousands of refugees pouring into the Black Sea ports through fear of massacre by the Turks, he remarked, “The Turk’s promise has gone down in the moral market about as low as the mark in the financial world.’’® There are strong indications of a great Mohammedan revival which will open the future for massacres and wars among the Moslems of Turkey, the one and one half million subject Christians, and the Balkan states. No provision whatever has been made for the Armenians whose security was guaranteed in the peace treaty of 1920. Thousands of Christians are fleeing from Turkish territory rather than live in perpetual dread of the sword of the Turk. These vol- untary evacuations of some and the forced evacuations of others have created an immense heartsickening relief prob- lem with which Greece is unable to cope, and which the American Near East Relief is attempting to solve. A prece- dent has been established for the forced emigration of sub- ject peoples which are undesired by a nation, and to what extremes this will be carried is a matter to be feared. The position of the foreign schools, missions, and or- phanages in the Empire is also precarious. In July of 1922, 18. Missionary Review of the World, The Missionary Situation in Tur- March 1928. Ernest W. Riggs: key. 20 Essays in Applied Christianity the National Assembly of Turkey enacted a law providing that “if any permission has been granted to foreign charit- able organizations to have orphan schools, they will be con- ducted according to the prescribed course of study and shall be under the direction of a Turkish subject, but no permits shall be issued to any new schools.’”® In the face of this, Kemal Pasha has repeatedly promised that foreign schoo!s shall be protected and encouraged. It is also impossible to predict the permanence of the Nationalists in power, although they deposed the Sultan in November 1922 and made him nominally, at least, the re- ligious head of the Moslem world. That this is a true na- tionalistic expression is doubtful; Kemal Pasha’s alliance with Soviet Russia has aroused apprehension as to the true character of the new government. “At the Armistice Tur- key was the ‘sick man’ of Europe; today she is the enfant terrible of Asia.’’*° This preliminary survey of the history, problems, and present situation in the Near East has been essential to any intelligent application of the principles of Jesus to the re- lation of the United States to the Near East question. We must first discern the signs of the times if we wish to prophesy for the future. Il. THE RELATION OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE NEAR EAST The United States cannot be consistent with Jesus’ ideal of the brotherhood of man and yet refuse to aid the world in its present plight. The objection is often made that Europe has brought her own troubles upon herself, therefore America is not under obligation to act the part of the Good Samaritan to her. ‘How many times shall my 19. Missionary Review of the World, 20. The Collapse of Lausanne, Cur- March 1928. Ernest W. Riggs: rent Opinion, March 1923. The Missionary Situation in Tur- ey. America end the Near East a brother sin against me and I forgive him?” asked Simon Peter. ‘Until seventy times seven,” was the reply. Eu- rope has sinned and has reaped the harvest of her own sow- ing, but her peoples are human beings, whose personalities, so Jesus taught, are worthy of every consideration. The American nation has been accused of being a nation of ma- terialism, but today she is the most idealistic of the great nations. She cannot remain true to her ideals by keeping them to herself; she must share them with the world in a concrete way. ‘To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” The claim that the Near East has upon the United States is the claim that the leper, the beg- gar, the sinful woman, had upon Jesus—their need and his power; its need and our ability to aid. America’s duty, ac- cording to President emeritus Eliot of Harvard, is to give the American people “their legitimate influence in making the earth a better place to live on.’’?? Aithough opinions differ as to the best means of pro- moting the welfare of the world, we find in the great prin- ciples of Jesus,—justice, brotherly love, humanitarianism, moral stamina, discretion,—solutions for many of our in- ternational problems such as that of the Near East. For instance, take the single principle of justice and see how far-reaching its effect would be if it were put into practice. The United States is morally probably the most influ- ential nation in the world and she should stand firmly for justice in world politics, even though it be to her material advantage to do otherwise. Insistence on justice means the condemnation of the policies of the nations in their treat- ment of the peoples of the Near East. The Balkan states, as we have seen, have been mere pawns in the hands of the European states. These Balkan states, small as they are, have rights that should be respected. But like the scribes and Pharisees who devoured the widows’ houses, and, for a pretense, made long prayers, the great powers have tried to carve out empires for themselves in the Near East, and, 21 Matthew 18:21, 22. 22. America’s Duty in the Near East. World’s Work, Feb. 1923, p. 485. 22 Essays in Applied Christianity for a pretense, have talked of preserving liberty and civili- zation. Why did provision for an Armenian National State, which popular sympathy has demanded for years, receive so little consideration at the last Lausanne Conference? Largely because each power was intent upon gaining recog- nition of its own diplomatic policies and interest. Against EKuropean intervention in the Near East for the satisfac- tion of the greed and rivalries of the great powers America should protest, and protest in vehement terms. Through the press, the churches, and the schools, the American public should be brought to a realization of the true situa- tion and of the need for more just dealings by the great powers. Through formal government protests and the at- titudes of American representatives abroad, the nations should feel the force of America’s condemnation of their treatment of the small states of the Near East. Moreover, the United States should insist on a con- sideration of the true position of Turkey by the European nations. For over a century, Turkey has been able to main- tain its autocratic form of government and its barbarous methods because of European rivalries and imperialistic aims. The “Sick Man” was given a reviving draught, first by one power and then by another, so that his life was pro- longed despite its decrepitude and internal corruptions. “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire,’’?* said Jesus, but here we have the spectacle of a corrupt tree kept alive for fear that some one nation would sieze the land wherein it grew. The col- lapse of Turkey during the World War was no more than natural and in accordance with historic and moral law. De- spite frequent promises of reform, the old form of govern- ment remained in force until the War, except for the peace- ful revolution of 1908 which was due to the Young Turks whose leaders, however, soon became adherents of the old regime. It is not just that Turkey should escape even the acknowledgement of her guilt as the Nationalists evidently expect she should, through denial of Turkish responsibility 28. Matthew 7:19. America and the Neav East 23 for the part taken in the War and for the massacres of sub- ject peoples. French support, real or apparent, of Turkey at Lausanne was denounced as “unnatural;” such support is not only unnatural, but it is also contrary to Jesus’ idea of justice. Jesus is so often represented as a weak pacificist that his bitter denunciation of greed, hypocrisy, and injus- tice and his driving the money changers from the temple are apt to be overlooked. His idea of brotherly love was a love that could condemn as well as forbear if some good could result thereby. The American attitude should be one of disapproval of any catering to a nation which is ac- knowledged to be unrepentant of its crimes against its peo- ples and the world. On the other hand, a true consideration of the position of Turkey demands recognition of the fact that it is a nation whose people, placed under different government and social conditions would still have common bonds of customs, lan- guage and aspirations to bind them together. Turkey is not a mere territory of land to be seized upon by other pow- ers and to be divided among themselves in order to satisfy their land hunger. Because they are powerful is no legiti- mate excuse for taking what they can obtain by reason of their power. The United States should insist that, should it become necessary for the powers to take possession of the Near East lands, provision be made for the welfare of the Turkish people instead of permitting exploitations for the benefit of the great nations. When repentant sinners came to Jesus, he had sym- pathy for them and freely forgave them, but for those who persisted in their evil ways he had distrust and condemna- tion. So, too, Turkey must suffer the consequences of her guilt until she recognizes it and shows herself capable of changing her policies; but it is not right that any nation should step in and dispossess her of her wealth in order to increase its own prosperity. America should therefore in- sist that European powers refuse to support Turkey with her inquitious policies, and furthermore, that they desist from considering her legitimate prey for consumption. 24 Essays in Applied Christianity European diplomats and American diplomats have toiled and schemed for years to obtain concessions in favor of their respective countries from the Turkish government. The manner of this scheming has been despicable and under- handed in many ways. If ever there were hypocrites, these wily diplomats will deserve the name! If international de- mocracy and brotherly love are to prevail no one nation should be given special privileges in the Near East, and no one should be discriminated against. America’s policy in the past has been that of the “open door,” and she must hold fast to that policy. Here is where the moral stamina of Jesus should inspire her; for, as the temptation came to Jesus to desert his ideals and gain personal power and wealth, so has the temptation come to the United States to desert her policy in her own interests. It has developed that Turkey, largely through the efforts of Rear Admiral Chester and the fact that America is regarded as detached from the imperialism of Europe, is willing to grant exclus- ive concessions to American commercial interests. One more problem, that of possible entanglement of America in the imperialistic policies of Europe, has been added to the complexities of the Near East situation. But what a hypo- crite America would be—to preach the gospel of the “open door” to the world and then violate the principle in her own interests! How can she maintain her self-respect if she abandons her ideals and becomes a party to these policies which she has condemned in others? America is a leader among nations; if she is truly working for world better- ment, her light must so shine before the nations that they may see and pattern after her ideals. “No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the. king- dom of God.’ To be true to her ideals, to be just to the world, and to be an example to other nations, America must uphold and continue to agitate for the “open door” in Tur- key. As for her relations to Turkey, the United States must take a definite stand for those policies which she believes 24. Luke 9:62. to Or America and the Near East Turkey should recognize. Her moral prestige can make the American attitude of some influence, for, of all the nations, the United States is most favorably regarded by Turkey. First of all, America should demand that provision be made for the minority peoples of Turkey, either that they be given equal rights and opportunities with Turks as sub- jects of the Empire, or that they be made semi-independent with their own local governments. The persecutions of Christians, their subjection to heavy taxation and tyranni- cal officials, and denial to them of suffrage and educational facilities must be abolished. Turkey has made frequent promise of reform; it is time that she carry out her prom- ise. Dr. Barton of Roberts College suggests that the United States can aid Turkey in her reforms by furnishing eco- nomic and political experts to direct the administrative re- organization of the Empire.?®> This does not necessarily im- ply a mandate over Turkey, but merely cooperation of Americans with the liberal-reform element in Turkey. If given the opportunity, it is America’s duty to help lay the foundation for a new Turkey, with no selfish motives and without deceit, for such action would encourage justice and guarantees for the rights of minority peoples. In the second place the United States should demand religious tolerance in the Empire. “That which Turks con- sider a menace (Christianity), Christians consider the only hope of Turkey. The least that can be demanded is the same amount of freedom as the Turks enjoy in America.’’?® Turkish opposition has centered upon Christianity because “it stirreth up the people” against autocracy and corrup- tion. Lowell calls the Bible “the most inflammatory book that can be circulated among a servile people,” which ac- counts for the Moslem opposition of its teachings. The ma- jority of the people of the lower classes of Turkey are “‘ser- vile people,” and if the government denies them the one hope of their regeneration and assertion of their initiative, 25. Significance of the Lausanne Con- 26. The Missionary Situation in Tur- ference Federal Council of key. Missionary Review of the Churches Bulletin, Feb.-March, World, March 1923. 1928. 26 Essays in Applied Christianity progress, reform, and democracy are impossible. To be treated as other nations of the world, Turkey must become like them in recognizing the principle of religious tolerance. Thirdly, the United States, in advocating the recogni- tion by others of the ‘‘open door” for Turkey must also in- sist that it be recognized by the Turkish government. This means, not only that concessions are not to be granted ex- clusively to one nation, but also that the rights of foreign- ers in the Empire are to be respected. America has glimpsed the ideal, even if she has not become the perfect example, of the brotherhood of men where differences of race and creed do not justify persecution of and discrimina- tion against foreigners. Turkey has yet to conceive of the ideal, but American sentiment should demand Turkish rec- ognition of justicce to subject peoples and foreigners, and religious tolerance toward all. The primary interest of the American people has not been in the political situation in the Near East, but in its immediate problem of relief work. The Near East Relief has undertaken the gigantic task of providing food, shelter, clothing, and employment for thousands of Christian refu- gees on the Aegean shores. Greece, with internal troubles of her own, is incapable of providing even temporary relief for the people who were forced to evacuate Asia Minor and Thrace and for others who have voluntarily fled from var- ious ports of the Turkish Empire. It is estimated that by next winter (1923-1924) there will be one and one-fourth million refugees who will be homeless and unprovided for. Many Americans have grown impatient with the harrowing propoganda spread by the Near East Relief in its campaigns for finances; they prefer their ease and well-being undis- turbed by tales of naked and wailing babies and of wretched, broken-spirited mothers. But others have responded with a sympathy worthy the commendation of Jesus. Millions of dollars have been freely subscribed and poured into the Near East with the blessings of the donors. Churches, civic organizations, fraternal bodies, schools, and individuals have shown a spirit of humanitarianism unprecedented in America and the Neav Hast oT ‘the history of the nation. But what we have given out of our relative abundance is but a portion of the amount which is needed. Now is not the time to be weary of well-doing ; we must continue our support of the Near East Relief. For, as Jesus would have us say, “We are unprofitable servants ; we have not done that which was our duty to do.” The great promise of the Near East and the great op- portunity for America to serve the world is through the children. Released from the bondage of tradition, super- stition, and religious and social persecution, the refugee children of the Near East offer untold possibilities of de- velopment into worthy citizens of the world. “I would rather pin my faith,” says one relief worker, “on what the American relief forces are doing in their constructive child- saving program, than on the most promising feats of state- eratt.’’*’ And to support his belief in the untold potenti- alities of the race of children born into the world each year, he lists a few of the great leaders who were born in one year (1809), Gladstone, Darwin, Tennyson, Fitzgerald, Poe, Men- delsohn, Holmes, Lincoln, Chopin, Fanny Kemble. Who knows what great leaders may rise from these dirty, ragged little boys and girls of Smyrna and Armenia and Constanti- nople who are being snatched from misery and death! But of more importance than that a few great characters shall be allowed to develop is that thousands of individuals shall be trained in Christian and American ideals and ways of living. Foy, after all, as Jesus divined two thousand years ago, the hope of the world is in its individuals. Given indi- viduals inspired by right principles, and with the faith and stamina to put these principles into practice, reforms of ex- isting institutions will follow. The refugee child of today will help to shape the destiny of his race tomorrow; can America afford to let her opportunity of service pass by? Humanitarianism, child-saving, and education are closely associated. To save the child from the rancor and hate and superstition of his race, he must be educated in the broader sense of the word, the direction of his thought and 27. John W. Mace: The Near East, Feb. 1923, p. 8. 28 Essays in Applied Christianity ideals to the higher values of life and the development of his potentialities to make him a democratic, just, and sympa- thetic world citizen. Workers in the Near East testify to the waltte of edu- cation of the children in this land. “America has an op- portunity to remake a nation through the education of Ar- menian children, to recover and develop the qualities which have made Armenia a bulwark against the foes of Christ- ianity.”’* “There is but one remedy after all, the American remedy, educate, educate, educate.’*® The work of Roberts. College at Constantinople and of the school of Beyrout has shown how easily Greeks and Orientals assimilate Western civilization and what fine characters are developed. The inertia and backwardness of the Near Eastern peoples can- not be remedied merely by externa! reform; the things that defile a man are the things that proceed out of his heart.’° Schools and orphanages strive to develop the self-respect and initiative of the children, to satisfy their intellectual longings, and to give them industrial training. Mission- aries and teachers have struggled heroically against govern- ment opposition, against religious persecution, Greek Ortho- dox as well as Moslem, against social and intellectual stag- nation, to maintain their schools and the means of reawak- ening the people through the children. We cannot break faith with the trust that Jesus had that the world would perpetuate his ideals and principles; we must save the schools which have already been established and we must. provide for others. This note of warning is opportune in view of the edict passed by the Turkish National Assembly, which brings American schools and charitable institutions under Turkish control. Of course, this does not affect the refugees in Greece, but it does affect the million and a half Christians. of Armenia, Constantinople, and other parts of the Empire, as well as destroying all hope of reaching Moslem subjects, some of whom have been influenced by the mission schools. 28. The Collapse at Lausanne; Cur- 29. Near East Relief: New Near East, rent Opinion, March 1928, p. 272. Dec. 1922. 30. Matthew 15:18-19. America and the Near East 29 Lhe one hope, at present, is that the law is not being en- forced, and if opposition is strong enough, especially in America, it may be repealed. Education of the children of the Near East is one so- lution of the Near Hast question. An equally important one is that of economic development of the people. Jesus sought to make men realize that they had personalities, that they were equal before God, in short, that they should respect themselves. He wanted them to use their talents, not to keep them hoarded away. It is the spirit of independ- ence, moral and economic, which the people need in order to grasp the higher principles of living which centuries of subjection to Sultan and priest have crushed to earth. The economic development of the Near East is as great an op- portunity for enabling the people “to have life, and to have it more abundantly,” as is selfish economic exploitation a means of increasing their misery and apathy. At present, both ways of influencing the economic situ- ation are open to America, one through the Chester con- cessions, and one through relief and educational work. It is possible, but highly improbable, that American capital- ists or any other capitalists would undertake such large- seale projects as are contemplated, from any other motive than that of self-interest. This means the enrichment of a few at the expense of the people. America cannot be a Good Samaritan to the Near East and fail to protect the interests of its peopies. The resources of the Near East can be de- veloped in a way advantageous to the people, as well as to business. America should see that she is represented in the Near East by open, honest commercial enterprises. The Near Hast Relief workers and the schools have yecognized, in addition to the enormous task of temporary relief, the greater task of upbuilding the individual refu- sees. Education of the children is a part of this task, and one phase of education is industrial training. The children are taught some trade or other form of work by which their economic independence is assured, and this is a great step 30 Essays in Applied Christianity in increasing self-respect and initiative. Seed is also fur- nished to refugees with instructions of how to plant it to the best advantage. Farm machinery and domestic con- trivances are being introduced, so that waste and drudgery are being eliminated. | A new era of progress is opened up for these refugees. Cruel and heartless as the evacuations of the Greeks from Asia Minor and Thrace have been, if the temporary relief problem can be taken care of, there is made possible for these refugees greater opportunities, more freedom, and sympathetic protection. This is a vision that America can help realize, through relief work, child-saving, education, and economic development, if she follows the example of the Great Humanitarian, Jesus of Nazareth. Nor must the schools and missions in the Empire be neglected. They are working under great handicaps and need American protection and encouragement. In world politics, too, the United States must have the courage and the strength to uphold those policies which promote justice, international welfare, and brotherly love. The United States must insist that the great powers consider the rights of the small states of the Near East and the true position of Turkey; and that Turkey recognize the “open door,” the rights of minority peoples, and religious tolerance in the Empire. And, casting aside all selfish interest, she must, herself, recognize the ‘‘open door” in deed as well as in word. The reward which America will reap if she consistently strives to aid the Near East in the spirit of Jesus may not | be that of immediate gain. It may not even be gratitude on the part of the Near East peoples. Ten lepers were healed by Jesus once, and only one of the ten returned to thank him, but he did not lose faith in his ideals. America will be ultimately rewarded, and even now she may develop a finer morale and have the consciousness of having aided in world betterment. Let her, then, seek first the higher values, the kingdom of God, and these other things shall be added unto her. America and the Near Hast 31 BIBLIOGRAPHY EK. I. Bosworth: Jesus and His Apostles, 1905. International Committee of Y. M. C. A., New York. H. E. Fosdick: The Challenge of the Present Crisis. Asso- ciation Press, New York, 1917. C. C. Hall: The Universal Elements of the Christian Relig- ion. Fleming H. Revel Co., New York, 1905. C. J. H. Hayes: Political and Social History of Modern Europe. Macmillan Co., New York, 1916. N. C. King: The Moral and Religious Challenge of Our Times. Macmillan Co., New York, 1911. H. H. Jessup: Fifty-three years in Syria. Fleming H. Revel Co., New York, 1910. The New Testament. A. M. Rihbany: The Syrian Christ, Houghton Mifflin Com- pany, Boston and New York, 1916. Bouck White: The Call of the Carpenter. Doubleday, Page, and Co., New York, 1913. F. Schevill: Political History of Modern Europe. Harcourt, - Brace & Co., New York, 1921. F. E. Melvin: The Near East (Lecture). Women’s Forum, Feb. 1923. University of Kansas. The Kansas City Star. The World Call. The New Near East. The Collapse at Lausanne: Current Opinion, March 1923. Frank H. Simonds: Lausanne, Review of Reviews, March 1923. 32 Essays in Applied Christianity An Episcopalian’s View of the Near East: New Near East, Dec. 1922. The Progress of the World: Review of Reviews, Jan. 1923. An Oriental Labyrinth: Literary Digest, April 21, 1923. J. L. Murray: Who is to Blame? Missionary Review of the World, Feb. 1923. C. W. Eliot: America’s Duty in the Near East. World’s Work. Feb. 1923. John W. Mace: New Near East, Feb. 1923. Ernest W. Riggs: Missionary Situation in Turkey. Mis- sionary Review of the World, March 1923. Frank H. Simonds: Constantinople and the Near East. Re- view of Reviews, August 1921. Federal Council of Churches Bulletin, Feb.-March, 1923. | Significance of the Lausanne Conference: J. L. Bar- ton. Henry Morgenthau: Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, Doubleday, Page and Company, Garden City, New York, 1918. E. W. Pickard: Chronology of the Year 1922. 1918 1914 1915 1916 Oey 1918 1919 1920 © ie) America and the Near East ESSAYS PREVIOUSLY PRINTED [Hattie Elizabeth Lewis Memorial Series | An Application of the Teachings and Example of Christ to the Relationship of the Native Citizen to ae Immigrant. —By Nathan Clyde. First Prize. A Practical Application of Christianity to the American Race Problem.—By William Burkholder. Second Prize. An Application of the Teachings of Christ to the Relation of the Employer to His Employees.—By Marshall A, Granger. An Application of the Teachings of Christ to the American Japanese Problem.—By Herbert Flint. How Christ Would Organize the World.—By Ralph W. Nelson. The Employer, the Wage-Earner and the Law of Love.—By Charles H. Watson. The Christian Nation and the Hague.—-By James Armstrong Scott. Christianity the Basis of True Internationalism.—By George E. Struble. The Application of the Teachings of Jesus to the Responsi- bility of the Capitalist to the Public——By Robert Henry Al- bach. | All the above essays are now out of print. In 1921 and 1922 it was necessary, on account of the greatly increased cost of printing, to forego the publication of the prize essays, The first prize in 1921 was taken by John R. Barnes; in 1922, by Rhea Ensign, iT BeAr te L} Pe "Tt wey VER | ‘ ' 5 ne } > *y) i Wis 1 alae , pe! tae a Ns : t el: ie R Pa UAE a) a ee ’ strit A. \ Ww ve ¥ Liege % Wy oy" iy \ ARP A’ air ea i \ vy 1 hy ee Ch CUD % CLA a LA UAT ROR k (' With ahi MG uy): HABER: }! at vod 1 Cen { a) PRINTEDINUS.A. Li = QO Li eS < QO e (ISS = GAYLORD HN31 .H36 1923 America and the Near East, Princeton Theological Semin l Wu iil 2 00025 rath