The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-10

Unuerstooo.
 The cabinet agenda, ct its meet Ing today-the first Easter Monday session since the World war--includ- Cd proposals to guarantee the inde- pendence of both Greece and Turkey, thus extending its commitments from the Baltic and the North Sea to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in a gigantic stop te dictators" program.
 Already Britain had agreed to a defensive alliance with Poland and was considering an alliance with Rumania. France was likewise pledged to defend Poland against at- tack and Poland, in turn, was pledged to defend Rumania's inde- pendence.
 Rumania And Turkey
 The Rumanian and Turkish for- eign ministers, meeting last night at Istanbul, agreed to "aim at strength ening the security and independence of friendly and allied countries, and Tightening the links with neighbor- ing peoples"
 The agreement provided for over- tyres to Bulgaria.
 The possibility of including even Hungary in an anti-aggression bloc was considered.
 Reports that Italian troops, occu- pying Albania, had reached positions on the Jugoslav and Greek frontiers sent a thrill throughout the Balkans and added weight to belief that @ way might be found to include Jugo- slavia in an anti-aggression program.
 Diplomatic quarters asserted that the Earl of Perth, British ambassa- dor to Rome, would inform the Ital- ian foreign ministry today that any move against Greece would create a situation dangerous to European peace.
 Is Considered Dangerous
 Just how dangerous Britain would consider such a move, and how 1t might answer 1t, seemed to be indi- cated eloquently by the admiralty or- ders to fleet units in Italian waters. :. Ships of the Mediterranean fleet had been on their gala eastern cruises. At San Reno, Naples and Sorrento long fleet visits had been scheduled.
 When the admiralty flashed its or- der, the battleship Warspite, flag ship of Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, commander in chief of the Mediter- ranean fleet, had just reached San Reno. The battleship Barham, flag ship of Vice Admiral Godfrey Lay ton second in command, had reached Naples.
 Crews were hurriedly recalled from ashore and the great ships steamed out to sea.
 Destroyed Fleet Changes Route
 A destroyer division, nearing Sor- rento, turned abruptly back and headed for an unknown destination. said the visits had been cut short
 The admiralty, asked to explain. because of the "obscurity" of the AL banian situation, and because "em- barYassment might have been caused to 6ll parties"
 Disposition of units of the Med- aerranean fleet within reach of the Adriatic as last reported was: Left Mentone, France, for url- known destination this morning battleship Malaya.
 Cruising in Eastern Mediterran- ean-Battleship Families.
 At Corsican ports-Destroyers Rf- ridf and Mohawk.
 At or on the way to Malta, the Island base near the Italian Island of Sicily-Aircraft Carrier Glorious; Cruisers Devonshire, Shropshire, Sussex, Arethusa, Galatea and Pen- elope; destroyers Gurkha. Sikh, Bulldog and Nubian and first and third destroyer flotillas: first sub- marine fotilla; Netlayer protector; depot ship Maidstone; repair ship Woolwich; supply ship reliant; hos pital ship Maine.
 At Tunisian ports - Fourth des- troyer division; first motor torpedo boat fiotilla; depot ship Vulcan.
 African Naval Base
 CFrance has its great African na- val base at Bizerte, Tunisia, south- west of Italian Sicily.
 At Gibraltar Destroyers Cos sack, Maori, and Zulu.
 Thus, by another of those coinci- dences for which the British ad- miralty is well known, an over- whelming part of the home fleet was within easiest reach of the Ad- riatic.
 ] The Easter holiday in Great Bri- tain extends from Thursday night Ito Tuesday morning. Usually gov- ernments offices are deserted. Even many restaurants and drug stores and grocery stores close for most of the four days. It was indicative of the gravity of the European situa- ton that government offlces were busy yesterday and today as they were Friday and Saturday.
 The Greek minister called twice on Viscount Halifax, foreign secre- tary, yesterday. Guido Crolla, Charge d'Affaires of the Italian em- bassy, called three times. Charles An- dre Corbin, French ambassador, saw both Chamberlain and Halifax.
 Halifax told Crolla that Britain strongly disapproved of Italy's oc- cupation of Albania.
 It was learned that Halifax also asked Crolla about disquieting rum- 0rs which the government had re- Ceived from the continent.
 British sources refused to say what these rumors were but it was assumed they referred to the possi- bility of an attack by Italy on Greece or Jugoslavia.
 Russia showed some suspicion of ] Britain's course. Russian sources seemed to fear that, by failing to include Russia openly in a stop Hitler bloc and by delaying nego- tiations with Rumania, Britain might be leaving the way open for q German drive eastward, this re- leving western Europe of Nazi