Evening star., 1939-10-20
By the Associated Press.

LONDON. Oct 20. - Diplomatic
circles noted with keen interest to-
day fresh indications that Britain
was carefully avoiding stepping on
the toes of Soviet Russia, despite the
latter's close ties with Germany.
They pointed to the protocol to
the British-French- Turkish mutual
aid pact signed yesterday which
frees Turkey from any obligation to
fight Russia and to the statement
of Foreign Undersecretary r. A.
Butler that Britain's military pact
with Poland did not apply to any
Russian aggression.
Mr.. Butler told the House of Com
mons yesterday in reply to a ques-
ton as to whether the pact was in
tended to cover the case of aggres-
sion by powers other than Ger
many:
mo, sir During the negotiations
which led up to the signature of the
agreement it was understood be-
tween the Polish government and
his majesty's government that the
agreement should only cover the
case of aggression by Germany, and
the Polish government confirm that
this is So"
Avoid Rousing Trouble.
Diplomatic circles emphasized. in
discussions of the newly signed
British French Turkish mutual as
sistance pact, that it avoided any
attempt to stir up trouble between
Russia and Turkey"
The treaty, operative for Is years.
provided for mutual military aid
against aggression" or war in the
Mediterranean by any European
power. Russia, in diplomatic Ian
guage, Is not European power.
British sources asserted Britain
had this in mind even before Turkey
began talks with Russia, which re-
Gently reached an impasse.
Mr.. Buffers statement recalled an
editorial in the authoritative Times
OF London on September 80, which
asserted Britain's relations with
Josef Stain would be decided "by
events" and made the point that
the line of the Russian
demarcation in Poland restricted the
Russian share so that the Soviet
IN the main took over only white
Russians and Ukrainians.
The editorial was interpreted then
as foretelling willingness not to
insist on the restoration in every
respect of the Poland of 1899.
Nazis Counted Twice Loser.
Britain counted Germany twice a
loser-stymied both by the treaty
with Turkey and by bad weather on
the western front.
Responsible British comment ar
gued that the treaty signed at An.
Kara last night had blocked pene.
tratlon of German influence in the
Balkans, particularly Rumania.
In a nutshell, if GERMANY at
tacks Rumania or Greece, Turkey
Will be in on our side" the News
Chronicle put it.
Military observers declared that
continuing heavy rains on the west
ern front, meanwhile, greatly less
ened the chances of success for anv
attempted German lightning Of
tensive against the allied armies.
Far-Reaching Implications.
In diplomatic circles, far-reachinp
implications were read into the
Brltish-French- Turkish treaty for
mutual military aid against "ageres-
sion" in the Mediterranean.
BY the pact, Great Britain and
France must help Turkey if she is
the victim of aggression by "a Euro
pean power or if aggression by a
European power leads Ito war in the
Mediterranean area in which Turkey
Is involved
In return, Turkey must help the
Western allies if IAN act of aggres-
sion by European power" leads to
war in the Mediterranean or If the
United Kingdom and France are
engaged in hostilities in virtue of
their guarantees to Greece and Ru-
mania of April 13, 1899.
No Pledges Against Russia.
Turkey, however, cannot be COM
PEELED to honor any pledges that
would involve her in war with So
Wet Russia, and the allied powers
would not be called on to fight
Russia in the event of Soviet ag-
gression against Turkey.
All three parties in the treaty were
said in diplomatic circles here to
have agreed to the principle that
the treaty should in no way be di-
rected against Russia.
Diplomatic observers assumed,
however. that there was no likeli-
hood OF a Soviet act of aggression
against Turkey. It was pointed out
that Turkish-Russian non-aggres-
sion pact has existed since 1925.
Members Of Parliament, who loud
(see LONDON, Page A-6J
PIone Workers Warned