GIFT OF TERRITORY

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20918, 25 September 1939, Page 7

GIFT OF TERRITORY

REASON OF NAZI CONCESSIONS POLICY TOWARDS TURKEY POSITION OF BALKAN STATES (United Press Assn,—Elec. Tel. Copyriynt) NEW YORK, Sept. 23 The most interesting prima facie theory, and the most probable one, relating to Germany’s gift of Polish territory to Russia, is concerned with Russian and German policy toward Turkey, says the Moscow correspondent of the New York Times. Even without war, Russia has many reasons to seek to deny the passage of the British and French through the Bosphorus. * It is understood that Germany, recently inquired in Angora whether, in exchange for a guarantee that she would not invade Rumania or any of the Balkan States, Turkey would close the straits to all belligerents. Therefore the most probable explanation of the surrender of territory to Russia is that it is a German effort to convince Turkey of good faith, by pointing out that she has surendered the key to Rumania. If Turkey accepted the German offer, the correspondent adds, it would not necessarily violate her engagements to Britain and France. The point of a possible agreement between Turkey and the Soviet, such as a guarantee of neutrality, is that it would be serious for Britain and France, in that it would enable Germany to squeeze Rumania of oil and foodstuffs. The correspondent adds that the retention of Soviet reservists recently mobilised is probably the prelude to a more grave announcement.