Evening star., 1939-10-22
BY MAI. GEORGE FIELDINGs
ELIOT.

by MAJ. GEONGE FIELDING
ELIOT.
Twenty-Five years ago, almost to
the day, Turkey entered the last
World War on the side Of the Gen.
trail Powers. The results of this
decision were far-reaching. The
Dardanelles were closed, cutting of
Russia from direct and easy access
to the outer world, depriving Rus
sia of Allied munitions, depriving
the Allies of Russian foodstuffs.
The difficult. dangerous and disas-
trous Dardanelles campaign drained
much of the Allied strength; the
campaigns in Mesopotamia, Pales-
tine and Macedonia. More success
full in the end were likewise diver
sions from the main theater. Bull
garia came in on the German side;
Greece hesitated long, Rumania
was encirled. All this might have
been different had Turkey swung
the other way.
Today, with the second world
war less advanced in point of time
than its predecessor, Turkey has
swung the other way by signing a
pact with Great Britain and France
calling for mutual assistance in
case of an "act Of aggression" lead
ing to war in the Mediterranean
area, or in case Britain and France
find it necessary to fulfill their
guarantees to Rumania and Greece.
Carefully excepted, however, is any
situation which might bring Tur-
key in as a belligerent against So
Wet Russia.
The military implications of this
new pact are emphasized by the
fact that the news dispatches an
nounclng it mention the presence
In the Turkish capital of Gen.
Maxine Weygand, commander in
chief of the French forces in the
Near East, and 1t. Gen. Archi-
bald P. Wavell, the new general Of
ficer commanding in chief, Middle
East command-which the British
war Office had created just before
the war to include Egypt, Palestine,
the Sudan and adjacent areas.
Both Know Near East.
These officers are both intimately
acquainted with the Near East. Gen.
Weygand has been high commits
sioner in Syria, as well as having
headed the French military mis-
sion to Poland in 1920. Gen. Wavell
was liaiSon officer with the Grand
Duke Nicholas during the Caucasian
campaign and subsequently served
on the staff with Gen. Allenby in
Palestine.
The forces at their command are
by no means inconsiderable. The
French have brought the garrison
of Syria, by recent reinforcements,
up to a strength of at least $4,000
combat troops, perhaps more. In
Egypt and Palestine there are from
so 900 to 10000 British troops, be-
sides large contingent of the In
dian Army and the Egyptian Army
has been much enlarged and i'm
proved during the last year. Be-
sides the French air squadrons in
Syria, the British Royal Air Force,
Middle East" under Air Marshall
Sir William Mitchell with head
quarters in Cairo has been heavily
reinforced. Indeed, the concentra-
ton of power in this general area
goes far beyond anything that
might be needed for defense against
an Italian attack from Libya, whose
communications would be imperilled
from the very beginning by the
British Mediterranean fleet now
concentrated at Alexandria under
an accomplished fighting admiral" ?"
Sir Andrew Cunningham.
It becomes, therefore, pertinent
to inquire just what may be accom-
plished by these forces, added to
those of Turkey; just how they
may affect the course OF the war.
Above all, what will the result OF
the new pact, backed by this con-
centration of fighting strength, be
upon powers now neutral?
Bulgaria Is Isolated.
Bulgaria, which after some hesi-
tation Joined the central powers
in the last war, has entertained
revisionist dreams of regaining the
Southern Dobrudja and her win
dow on the Aegean" the one at
Rumanian, the other at Greek ex-
pense. But she now finds herself
isolated from any immediate hope
of German aid, which could reach
her only via Rumania or Yugoslovia,
and she is Immediately menaced by
the powerful Turkish army, COM
manded by the veteran Marshall
Fevzi Tchakmak, which can put
into the field % divisions dnclud-
ing two mountain divisions, as
we'll as five cavalry divisions.
This force is composed Of excel
lent fighting material, well trained
and capably commanded. While it
does not contain as high q portion
of modern arms and equipment as
the armies of Western Europe, it
is superior in respect to the army
of Bulgaria, which, only recently
escaping from the chains Of the
World War treaties, nominally in
cludes 10 divisions, but actually can
hardly hope to put such a force
in the field despite German efforts
at supplying armament.
Between Turkish and Bulgarian
resources there can be little COM
parison. The Turkish Air Force
has received a good many up-to-
date planes and probably has now
in excess of 500 serviceable aircraft.
Bulgaria, though attempting with
German aid to build up an air
force, has as yet made only q small
hnoinni4aa Yaaalao s.in kianxafoxn anassaa