We cannot think that any such compromise would work or
is seriously contemplated. What we believe to be Mr. Lloyd George's first and real thoughts are best. It would be foolish to ignore the fact, however, that the French are in a Turoophile mood, and that Mr. Churchill has used language which apparently contradicts Mr. Lloyd George. We need say no more on the matter now except to protest against the idea, rather common here, that the Turkish question must be settled on grounds of expediency. If people will look back on the past experiences of the British Empire', they will find that we have. never once suffered through doing what we believed to be the right thing, even though the right thing could plausibly be represented as offensive to Moslem sentiment. In the• present case it is par- ticularly necessary not to be led astray. Constantinople is not one of the Moslem Holy Places, and the nexus between Moslem feeling in India and' the religious authority issuing from Con- stantinople is of the flimsiest. Let people reflect that the Crimean War, fought -in Turkey's interest, was 'immediately followed by the Moslem Mutiny!
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