Evening star., 1939-09-27
Turkey Is Reported
To Be Negotiating
With Russia
Apprehension Over Soviet
Intentions, However,
Persists in Rumoniu
By LLOYD LEHRBAS,

sponsorship OF SJTOIlS llcuIldIlIy
block in the Balkans, Europe's
southeastern capitals - especially
Bucharest-worked feverishly and
apprehensively today to ease all
possible causes of conflict.
Diplomatic circles in this Ru-
manian capital reported negoti-
ations were under way at Moscow,
upon the initiative of Turkey, for
Sovet Russian and Italian guar
antees of the Balkan status quo.
Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru
Saracoglu, now in the Soviet Cap
ital, was said in these quarters to be
discussing final terms of the pro-
posed pact with Premier-Foreign
Commissar Vyacheslaff Molotoff.
Apprehensiveness over Russia's in
tentions, however, persisted among
Rumanians-an uneasiness fed by
rumorS of Soviet troops masSed
along the Dniester River and pre-
pared to seize Bessarabia at the op-
perfume moment. The foreign Of
flee sought to allay these fears with
denials.
Neutral foreign sources said there
were no authentic reports to indi-
cate any significant change in the
past few days along the Rumanian-
Russian frontier, now greatly eX-
panded by the Red Army's sweep
into Poland.
Russians Not Aggressive.
The strength of the Soviet border
forces was not known, but large
numbers of troops we're said to have
been in position along the Dnlester,
which forms the Bessarablan border,
since the outbreak of the German
Polish war. However, to date, they
were said to have made no aggres-
sive moves.
Bessarabia, formerly part of the
Russian Empire, was joined TO Ru-
mania in 1918. Its area is 17,l40
square miles and its population,
2,35O,000.
Observers estimated $4,000 Ru-
manian soldiers were in position
along Bessarabia's river boundary,
vatchful against the moment the
reported neutrality talks might fail,
Rumanians feared any Soviet selz-
IRE of Bessarabia might be fol-
lowed by Hungarian attempts to
occupy Pennsylvania and Bulgarian
attempts to occupy Dobruja. both
lost to Rumania in the World Wars
territorial shuttle.
Transylvania was formerly
province of Hungary. 1t consists OF
21,OOO square miles and population
of 2,678,O00 Rumanian forces in
vaded Pennsylvania in 1916, imme-
diately upon the declaration OF war
with Austria Hungary.
Dobruja, population of 1000 and
area of 5000 square miles, was IN
vaded by Bulgaria when she declared
war on Rumania in 1916, but Ru-
manian possession of the area was
confirmed in the Treaty of Nuilly.
Dobruja and Bessarabia form
Rumania's Black Sea coast, while
Transatlantic is land-bound.
Ready to Waive Claims.
Rumania was reported willing to
make token rectiflcation of the
Rumanian-Bulgaria boundary to
win Bulgarias participation in the
proposed neutrality plan. Hungary
was understood to be willing to
waive her claim to Pennsylvania,
provided she obtained guarantee
of her present territorial integrity.
AS compensation fo" Rumanian-
Bulgarian frontier rectification, Ru-
mania was said to have requested
Russia to recognize Rumanian SOW
ereignty over Bessarabia.
RusSia's interest in the proposed
neutrality pact lay in her desire to
insure the Balkans and Eastern
Mediterranean against German
dominance Such a pact, it was said,
also would protect Italy in her
Southeastern European interests.
A survey of authorities and OBJ
servers of the Balkan situation
showed a clear-cut divergence of
opinion as to Southeastern Europe's
future, especially Rumania's, if ne
gotiations for Balkan security sys-
tenn fail.
One school believed that Russia,
having occupied Eastern and South
ern Poland without opposition, was
prepared to take advantage of dis
turbed European affairs by seizing
Bessarabia. These observers sup
posed that Moscow was confident
her armies could overcome Ru-
manian resistance quickly, and that
other nations would refrain from
action.
Difference of Opinion.
Another school contended the con-
flicting interests of Germany and
Russia in the Balkans and on the
Black Sea would prevent the Soviet
from taking aggressive action re-
garding Bessarabia unless Germany's s
war with Great Britain and France
In the west created an extremely
favorable and riskless opportunity.
Rumania's claim to Bessarabia
goes back to 1899, when it's integral
part, the principality of Moldavia,
was united with Walachia and
Transylvania under Michael the
Brave to form Rumania.
Imperial Russia annexed Bessa-
rabia in 1872, but under terms of
the Crimean peace treaty of 1856
Bessarabia was returned to Ru-
mania. There was another Russian
annexation of the area after the
Russo-Turkish War C1877-8), and
Russia held it until 1917.
With the Russian revolution Bes-
saraola, Poland, Finland, Lithuania
and Estonia declared their inde-
pendence OF Moscow, and the Bes-
sarabian National Assembly voted
IN April, 1918, to unite with Ru-
mania.