HISTORIC FOOTNOTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 February 1943, Page 3

HISTORIC FOOTNOTE

ADDED TO CASABLANCA MEETING CHURCHILL’S VISIT TO TURKEY GERMANS KEPT IN THE DARK. POLITICAL AND MILITARY TALKS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, February 1. Mystery surrounding Mr Churchill’s whereabouts after the Casablanca conference was cleared up as a result of the dramatic announcement that he was even farther afield. It is remarkable that the Germans did not know he was visiting Turkey, which, the "Daily Mail’s” diplomatic correspondent says, is a tribute to Turkey’s friendship and good faith and also to the efficiency of the security arrangements, because Turkey is infested with German agents.

The diplomatic correspondent of “The Times” says that the news of Mr Churchill’s visit adds a historic footnote to the Casablanca meeting. “It is probably no exaggeration to say that the mere fact of Mr Churchill’s meeting on Turkish soil reflects more clearly than anything else could the crucial deterioration of Germany’s military position. ‘The Turkish observers of the vast European struggle have always shown a balance in their appraisement of the changes and chances, and the latest reports from Ankara leave no doubt that the view there is that the course of the war has taken a definite turn. Britain’s own needs have limited our help to Turkey, but with Britain’s production mounting, and the United Stattes becoming an arsenal of democracy, the supply of arms enabling Turkey to defend her general defensive security will flow abundantly.”

There is no disposition in London to speculate about implications of the Adana meetings. The list of the participants is sufficient proof of the wide and weighty character of the discussions.

“The news of the visit in many ways was more sensational than the Casablanca meeting, because it must be unprecedented for a British Prime Minister to visit a neutral country during a war,” comments the “Mail.” “An occasion. obviously of the highest importance, the talks clearly went beyond politics.” The “Mail” reveals that M. Stalin cordially cabled to Mr Churchill wishing him success in the talks. The “Daily Express” says; “From the names of the British advisers, it is clear that our men have the question of the defence of Turkey fully in hand. Mr Churchill in the last war saw the southern Balkan flank as the most vunerable part of Germany. In this war it is likely to be at least one point of attack, and for that reason we need the Turkish goodwill.” Adana, where the conferences took place, is an ancient provincial capital, with a population of some 75,000. It is 550 miles by air from Cairo. TUNISIA CAMPAIGN BRITISH PRIME MINISTER CONFIDENT. BUT CONSIDERABLE FIGHTING EXPECTED. LONDON, February 1. “The ancient British-Turkish friendship, which was tragically broken in the last war, is now fully restored in vitality,” said Mr Churchill at a Press conference in Cairo on his return from Turkey by air. Hurricanes of the Turkish Air Force escorted the Prime Minister’s plane part of the way. Referring to North Africa, Mr Churchill said, “I believe that the army which started from Cairo will take a noteworthy part in achieving the final result in Tunisia, namely, the ejection of every German and Italian soldier. We must expect considerable fighting in Tunisia in the next few months, and perhaps weeks, but I am confident of the results.” Mr Churchill added, “The Russian Army’s prodigious feats have removed the threat of invasion of the Middle East from the north. Premier Stalin is a great warrior, whose name will be one of the most honoured and longest-lived in the history of the Russian people.” Mr Churchill said that the subjects of the talks in Turkey included “the general world situation.” With a smile, he asked the correspondents not to read more into the communique than it said, or speculate too freely on what he called “mysteries of State.” An agency message states that Mr Churchill and his party wore civilian clothes in view of Turkey’s neutrality. Almost immediately after their arrival in Turkey, Mr Churchill with President Inonu and the Foreign Minister inspected 20 Hurricanes which had just been delivered to Turkey. At the first official meeting Mr Churchill gave President Inonli an autographed letter from King George and a personal message from President Roosevelt. The conversations, which were markby informality, were conducted in French almost without the use of interpreters. They took place in a presidential train which was drawn up on a specially constructed siding. After the opening of the meeting separate political and military talks went on all day and during the meals. The final plenuary session took place after lunch on the second day, when reports were made by military leaders to President Inonu and Mr Churchill. Mr Churchill afterward took leave of, the President at the station and was’ escorted to Adana airport by M. Saracoglu. CALL AT CYPRUS INSPECTION OF GARRISON TROOPS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, February 2. The British Prime Minister visited Cyprus on his way back from Turkey. A communique says Mr. Churchill was the guest of ‘the Governor (Sir C. Woolley) and Lady Woolley at Government House, Nicosia. Mr Churchill was accompanied by Sir A. Brooke,

Chief of the Imperial General Staff; Sir A. Cadogan, Permanent Under-Sec-retary for Foreign Affairs; Sir Charles Wilson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, and Commander Thompson, R.N., personal assistant to the Prime Minister. While in Cyprus, Mr. Churchill addressed a representative gathering of leading personalities. Later he inspected troops of the garrison.