New Move in Europe

Evening Star, Issue 23381, 26 September 1939, Page 5

New Move in Europe

Supported by Russia, Turkey, and Italy Brake on German Eastward Drive . ’ Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, September 24. In a radio telephone message from London, the correspondent there of the * New York Times says that the situation in the Balkans turns towards the creation of a bloc of neutrals, embracing all the Balkan States, guaranteed by Russia, Turkey, and Italy. The Balkans appear to be excluded for good from the war theatre, thus protecting the Mediterranean and restricting German military activity. Turkey sponsored the move, which Russia and Italy are supporting for different reasons. Hitler has been thrown back in the east, where he was able to crush the Poles at the price of allowing Russia to marshal over 1 00 divisions on. the Vistula-Carpathians line, thus creating the permanent menace of a stab in Germany s back immediately she weakens in the west. Germany has also lost the Ukraine and the prospect of seizing Rumania’s economic resources. The Moscow correspondent of the ‘ New York Times says that the Estonian Foreign Minister has arrived at the Estonian Legation. He maintains that the visit is commercial and has no-political purpose, but the Soviet is confident that it will result at least in increased Soviet influence in the Baltic States. It is significant that the Soviet troops on the RussianFinnish frontier are being constantly increased and that Finland is preparing to resist invasion. The Soviet is reported to be refusing Finnish vessels a passage through to Leningrad via the Neva River. The * Politikin’s ’ Moscow correspondent says Bey Saracoglu, the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, will arrive to-day in Moscow, where the view is taken that Turkey desires a guarantee against a German advance in the Balkans, while Russia wants security against foreign warships being allowed into the Black Sea via the Dardanelles.