AMBITIONS OF SOVIET RUSSIA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20072, 19 October 1939, Page 5

AMBITIONS OF SOVIET RUSSIA

CONTROL OF THE DARDANELLES CONTINGENCY OF WAR WITH ALLIES FIRM STAND MADE BY BALKAN STATE LOYALTY TO BRITAIN AND FRANCE (Elee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Oct. 19, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. IS. The Istanbul correspondent of The Times says that the Turkish Prime Minister, Edik Saydam, informed the’ Parliamentary group of the People’s Party that the negotiations between Turkey and Russia had been broken off, and that tiie Foreign Minister, Saracogiu Bey, had left Moscow. It is expected that Turkey will now sign the British and French agreements. A communique issued at Ankara, stated that the guarantees the Soviet offered did not compensate for the obligations Turkey was asked to incur. A communique issued in Moscow merely said that ,the visit of Saracogiu Bey enabled a comprehensive exchange of views in a critical atmosphere which again confirmed the friendly relations between Russia and Turkey and the common desire to maintain peace. It added that the two Governments had decided to maintain contact in the future for discussions on questions interesting both. The Istanbul correspondent of The Times says it is understood that one of the Russian conditions which Turkey found unacceptable was that, in the event of war between Russia and the Allies, Turkey should close the Dardanelles against the Allied fleets. Another unacceptable condition concerned a Soviet- stipulation in the event of war between Turkey and Germany. Possible Repercussions. The Moscow correspondent of The Times emphasises that Turkey’s refusal to act disloyally to England and France, especially to close the Dardanelles, may have important reactions on the Soviet’s future co-operation with Germany. The Moscow correspondent of the New York Times, Air. G. E. IL Godye, says that the breakdown of the TurkishSoviet negotiations was definitely a complete one, but no rupture occurred in Russian-Turkish relations. “Generally, Turkey’s determination to maintain good relations with Russia is unchanged,” states the correspondent. “However annoyed the Soviet may be at present, so far nothing has happened to preclude negotiations on quite a different basis later. The failure to agree touched the questions’ of the Black Sea, the neutrality bloc, Bessarabia, Dobruja and the Dardanelles Straits. The situation was difficult from the outset, because both came to the conference table with their hands tied, Russia because of her obligations to Germany and Turkey because of her obligations to England and France, ,to which she firmly adhered. German influence seems to be exercised against Russia securing Bessarabia, Germany urging that such questions should lie settled at the end of the war.”