COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y. Refer-St. Sheehan 11-10-24 10957 PREFACE AT THE invitation of the Lowell Institute of Boston, Mass., I delivered in January and February of 1920 six lectures on Turkey. As the other Lowell courses on the Near East in the same season dealt for the most part with current conditions, I confined myself to the present of Asiatic Turkey. These lectures, re-written, make up these pages. They present a direct plea for the acceptance by the United States of a mandatory from the League of Peace for Asiatic Turkey and Constantinople, or as much of it as could be saved from other powers. In the lectures I made no secret of my own opinion, but I did not deem it seemly to be an advocate on the impartial platform of the Lowell Institute. For the direct argument as it now stands no one is responsible but myself in assent, dissent, or silence. Accurate transliteration is the abiding temptation of him who writes on Asian lands. I have, with reluctance, deemed it wiser to follow the familiar path of a much-used book of reference, the "Statesman's Yearbook." I desire to express my appreciation of an invitation to speak in what is the most important series of courses delivered in this country, an invitation in itself both honour and opportunity. For the very accurate reports of the lectures printed in the Boston Evening Transcript I feel a sincere obligation. I have reported many lectures myself and know the difficulties of the task so well discharged by Mr. Forrest P. Hull. Columbia University TALCOTT WILLIAMS. |
