The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1918. TURKEY AND GERMANY.

Taihape Daily Times, 2 August 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1918. TURKEY AND GERMANY.

(With which is Incorporated The X*ihapo Post and WalcmrJ'io News).

The disintegration of the Central Alliance has sot in, as disclosed in a Girect cable from Constantinople. This cable has not been officially confirmed although it has been corroborated, and it has been distinctly understood that the best interests of Turkey no longer ran in the channels of Prussianism. It may be said that no news of such far-reaching importance to the Allies has reached us for some long time past. The immediate _cause or this step is said to be Germany’s demand that Turkey hand over her navy, but that is only One reason of very many, some of which have far greater weight with the Turkish Government. Germany demanded the cruiser Hamidieh as compensation for the loss of the Breslau, which was destroyed by the British in the Dardanelles, and the Hamidieh is now sailing with the German flag flying, despite protests by the enraged Turks. It is a little significant that the Goeben has also left Turkish waters. These are only minor affairs; among the chief causes of the seeming volte face of Turkey is that the enemy most feared is no longer potent to injure Turkish interests. Russian aggression is no longer a bogey for Germany to dangle before the scared Turks, but Germany is, in herself, a menace that Turkey now makes no mistake about. From the very commencement of the war the position of Turkey has been somewhat paradoxical, and without doubt leaders had considerable difficulty in deciding whether Russia or Germany was the lesser evil. Russia was demanding Constantinople, and pan-Ger-manism would obviously overwhelm everything Turkish, both in Europe and Asia if its aims were accomplished. By joining with Germany Turkey has rendered such help that has culminated in effectually disposing of the century-old Russian menace to Constantinople, and now she is looking for means to checkmate the intentions of pan-Germanism. Turkey is now as eager to defeat Germany ab she was to defeat the Slavs, and shr turns her back on a broken, devastated, impotent Russia to view the German situation in western battlefields. Nowhere to the westward does she find indications that Germany can succeed in bringing the Allies into subjection, and she realises the time has arrived for her to drive a lance into the pan-Germanic octopus. She hac notified that she has severed her relationship with the Central Alliance; German bullying and robbery will not be endured, and friendly relations with Prussian world dominion has ceased to exist. With Bulgaria seizing the Deadeagatch railway, and claiming territory in the Dobrudja, and Avith Germany taking possession of Turkish Avarships despite Ottoman protests, Ave are forced into contemplation of Avhat the military situation in the Turkish Empire will be in the near future; of what eventualities may result in connection with the /

being allowed to pass the Dardanelles, Britain is at war Avith Turkey; is fast wresting ■> Palestine from Turkish hands, and Persia, ..Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Armenia are being assisted by Britain to secure immunity from Turkish yoke. It is difficult to be. lieve that any Avay acceptable to Britain and to Turkey can be discovered that would put Turkey on the side of the Allies. The same difficulty does not exist between Turkey and America, for the Americans have not dedared war against Turkey, therefore they are free to conduct negotiations for securing to Allied ships the right to pass through the Dardanelles. Notwithstanding the problematical attitude of Turkey to the Allies, it is far more difficult to understand how she can remain isolated while Bulgaria is threatening her territory in Europe and Britain in Asia. Turkey is truly “betwixt the deAdl and the deep blue sea,” for, by continuing in the Centre I

everything, first making of Turkey a dependent State and finally wiping out her nationality altogether. By remaining in a state of isolation she will be helpless to prevent Britain overrunning her Asiatic dominions; while being compelled to fight Bulgaria to prevent her European territory being invaded and seized. Some understanding with the Allies offers the safest and most advantageous way out of a bad mess, and it is scarcely believable that the Turkish Government would encourage anti-German propaganda in their territories, and woulc dare to completely sever friendly relationship with the Central Powers witnout first having some understanding with the Allies for future safety, if it is trufe that Turkey has severed connection with the Central Alliance, it is the most disastrous experience that the German War Party has yet encountered; the Kaiser’s dream of east"ern dominion vanishes; the Berlin to Bagdad railway becomes a chimera; the invasion of Egypt and the contrc* of the Suez Canal must be postpones for, at least, a few hundreds of years; Balkan grain-fields and oil-wells muSo be relinquished; it would decide the whole , Balkan question, enable the army at Salonika to march through Serbia, and link up with Roumania and southern Russia, that is assuming -;that some understanding between the Allies and Turkey had been arrived at. The Allies would bo able to munition Russia and Roumania; organise stable Government in Russia; set free the huge accumulations of wheat that Germany has been trying to scare out of the Russians by wholesale murders and massacres; Allied troops could be landed in Bulgaria, Roumania, or any other Black Sea port; Austria would be compelled to fall out of the Ali:ance with Germany, and the Prussian war lords would find themselves in complete isolation. While considering possibilities of a Turkish break with Germany it is as well to remember that no official confirmation of the report has yet to come to hand. Turkey has suffered many snubs and Indignities at German hands,, but ' Whether the seizure of her navy and thus crippling her in dealing with an ally who seeks to rob her of territory Is yet to be disclosed. In organising a Black Sea Navy' Turkey found the ships and Germany the naval experience; now Germany has the ships and Turkey has, at least, some experience of Germany’s naval methods. It may be that Turkey may break free of Germany and yet not come to any terras with the Allies, but it is not at all likely that the Turkish Government will follow a course’, that will leave their country the enemy of the whole world, neutral, Hu* and Ally.