The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1918. WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1918. WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT.

The report that Turkey has severed relations with Germany is almost too good to be true; yet for some time past there have been signs of a rupture between Turkey and her allies. A few days ago it was cabled that hostilities had actually broken out between the Turkish and Bulgarian troops. The cause of the trouble is the division of the Roumanian spoil. Bulgaria had been given the Dobrudja, and as an offset the Turks claimed the strip of country along the Dede Agatch—Adrianople railway taken from Turkey in the Balkans "War. Germany has been endeavoring to placate Turkey, and compose the differences . between Turkey and Bulgaria, but could only do so at the expense of the latter. Germany has been full of promises, as usual, but the deeds were lacking. Turkey has been sensible of the fact that whilst her other nefarious allies were helping themselves to huge slices ol' Russia and Roumania she had been left out in the cold. The knowledge of this injustice lias, no doubt, brought the tension that was already in existence to the breaking point, | and precipitated the present crisis. It has been shown by Sir Edwin Pears, the eminent authority on Turkish affairs, that the majority of the more responsible men in Turkey were against participation in the war, and particularly against warring with Britain and France, who had stood by her against Russian aggression in the middle of the past century. But German intrigue had been at work for years, and the Young Turk party, headed by Enver Bey (now Enver Pasha), were mere instruments in the hands of the Teutons. According to yesterday's cables, the power of Enver Pasha has declined and the pro-Ally Talaat Bey is in the ascendancy. If a crisis has been reached, and Enver defeated, it is quite possible that the latter's first act would be to throw off alliance with Germany. ITad it not been for the arrival of : the Breslau and Goeben in the Bosphorus the intrigue would have failed in its object; but these ships, in company with Turkish vessels, purposely entered the Black Sea and committed acts of war against Russia, thus bringing about the condition that the Huns had planned. Thereafter Constantinople. and Turkey generally, were dominated by the Young Turks and Germans. As usual, the Germans have treated their victims with the haughty contempt characteristic of the "super" men, taking all and giving nothing. The economic condition of Turkey was always bad, but since-the present war it has been

appalling, disease being rampant, and the Turkish population being in a continual state of starvation. Added to this, there have been the heavy military losses inflicted upon them by the British in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Palestine. They have lost practically in every quarter, and the amazing thing is not that they are now breaking off relations with their hard taskmasters, but that they have remained in subjection so long, and endured so much loss and misery, and pat up the light they have during t'ae past six years, for it has to be remembered that they were fighting amongst themselves and against the Balkan States before the Germans jockeyed them into the present struggle. Turkey may have taken this extreme course in desperation, in. the belief that, whatever else happened, things could not be worse for her than they have been—and are. Possibly she will throw herself on the mercy of the Allies. That would be a wise action on her part. She would be certain to get some consideration, though she deserves little after the way she has behaved to her past benefactors. Still, we have to remember that many of the Turks are our friends, and never sanctioned the rupture, and would make amends so far as lay in their power, if given the opportunity. Turkey has been an important factor in Germany's ability to stave off defeat, principally because of her geographical position,. If we can utilise the Dardanelles we will be able to turn the tables 011 the Germans in the Ukraine and the other Black Sea provinces of Russia. "We can also attack Bulgaria from the sea, I as well as from the Turkish frontier. We can utilise our large ar- ! mies in Mesopotamia and Palestine for this purpose, and bring such power to bear that we could in a short time crash Bulgaria absolutely, and at the same time succour Roumania. Afterwards it would be Austria's turn, providing she held together until then, which is doubtful, if the reports we hear of the defection of the Czechs are well founded. The portents for a complete Allied victory were never more favorable than they are to-day. Evidently the Kaiser apprehends the fate in store for himself and his nation, for he has warned his people that the '"darkest days" are yet to come. If the report of Turkey's defection is true, then those dark days will indeed be close at hand. That, at any rate, will be the sincere hope of the nations who are fighting that libertv justice and righteousness shall'be preserved to the world.