Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1940. TURKEY’S ATTITUDE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 January 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1940. TURKEY’S ATTITUDE.

r pj]E cables today announce that a message received in London from Zurich states that the German Press is systematically attacking Turkey, and that the newspaper “Der Montag declares that what happened to Poland will be Turkey s fate. The paper alleges that the Allies are trying to make a Daidandles problem, similar to that of the Polish corridor, t.nis embroiling Turkey and Russia. The Italian Press echoes the German attempts to isolate Turkey and thereby cause disnnitx in the Balkan Entente. A semi-official statement in Paris, published in today’s'cables, confirms the previous announcement that England and France arc both building up powerlul armies in the Near East for the purpose ol fulfilling' then obligations to Turkey, Greece and Rumania, and that there are sufficient men in the Near East to deal with tiny event ualil.t. For the moment the interest, swings to the Near East, and the area associated with the Allied operations in the Great Mat may again become a great battle ground.

The policy of Germany anil Russia in the Balkans is largely governed by the attitude of Turkey. From a geographical point of view the efficacy of Anglo-French aid to Rumania depends on the capacity of the Allies to enter the Black Sea. lhe British pact of mutual aid with Turkey, concluded in May last, and made more binding since, compels Turkey to aid Britain and France in implementing their guarantees to Rumania, always reserving to Turkey a free hand il lighting against Russia, were involved. Thus, if Germany alone invades Rumania, Turkey will presumably open the Straits and become a combatant. Tier stand is most important, . because, in the event of fighting in Rumania, it is the immediate aid that can be brought in the first few weeks that will count so. much. A few Turkish divisions hastily landed on lhe Dobrud.ja, and reinforced by units from the new Anglo-French command in the Near East, might well alter the course of the campaign in the few weeks before further Allied help could come.

Tn view of these facts it is extremely unlikely that a purely local thrust by Germany would be possible against Rumania or any other Balkan State. The recently improved relationships of Turkey with Bulgaria, the mobilisation ol the Yugoslavian reserves on the frontier a few days ago, and last week s visit of lhe Rumanian Foreign Minister Io Belgrade all point in the opposite direction, and it would thus seem that Germany can move only if she is sufficiently desperate to -be prepared to meet the military resistance of a concerted Balkan group. The key to the Balkan position is thus in the hands of Turkey, who has been steadily preparing for the day when she might be compelled Io take up arms against, an aggressor, Germany’s ally in the Groat War, Turkey, finds today that she. has nothing in common with a ruthless gang of men who have thrown the world into war again and who intend to crush that democracy which Turkey, among other nations, has secured in lhe past: few years and establish in its place a dictatorship of blood. What attitude Turkey will eventually adopt towards Russia will depend on circumstances, and evidence is accumulating that preparations are being made outside of Turkey to meet any move Russia may make against lhe Allies or the Balkan Powers. 'Phe longer the war continues the less will Germany or Russia be able to accomplish in the Balkans should they strike there.