Evening star., 1939-10-20
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The signature of the British
French Turkish pact is bad news
for the totalitarians and good news
for the French, the British and
some of the American arms manu-
facturers.
An immediate aggression against
Turkey by the U. S. S. R. is unlikely.
But the Turks must get fully pre-
pared to meet it If and when it
happens Their new allies are too
deeply engaged on the western
front to send any effective help to
Ankara at the present time. The
Greeks could offer no support in the
event of Russian attack. The
Rumanians could do better, but they,
like the Turks, are likely to be ham,
pered by the lack of sufficient war
materials-especially aviation.
Consequently in the months to
come Turkey must do her utmost
to get herself into better military
shape. AS far as manpower is con-
cerned the Turks have at least l.
100000 men they could put in the
field The Turkish soldier is counted
as one of the most resistent and
brave in that section of the world
But bravery and power resistance
alone are no longer sufficient in
war like this one The Poles offer
good illustration.
The allies are not in position to
spare much for Turkey at the pres
ent time. The only country which
can provide them with the needs Of
modern warfare is the United States.
Turkey is in a good position here.
She is not defaulter, hence the
johnson Act cannot apply to her In
the event the Ankara government
desires to float loan to finance its
purchases here. Turkey has many
things to offer as substantial guar
anty for long term loan. With the
money thus raised she will be able
to purchase all she needs in the
American markets. AS long as she
is not at war she can get her mill
tary equipment without coming un-
der the ban Of cash and carry. or
under the prohibitions of the pres
ent neutrality embargo on arms.
Later, even If the neutrality law is
not repealed, she will be able to pay
cash through loans she can make in
this country.
It is reported that a Turkish mis-
sion will soon come to this country
to survey the arms market and place
important orders.
There is no doubt that the action
of the Turkish government has been
q shock to Berlin-more so than to
Moscow. The Russians wanted to
control Turkey in the same manner
they are controlling the Baltic states:
that is to say by actually sending
troops to the Dardanelles to see that
Turkey sticks to her neutrality
pledges. Behind that the Turks saw
an attempt on the part of the Soviet
Union to gain a foothold in Euro
pean Turkey and eventually propose
to the Turkish government some
kind of a swap which would have
given Russia 1stanbul and the con-
troll of both gateways to the mediter-
ranean-the Bosphorus and the
Dardanelles.
From the practical point of view,
the chief advantage from the treaty
with Turkey gained by the British
and the French will be their ability
to send ships from the Mediter-
ranean fleet to prevent a Russian
landing at Constanta, the Rumanian
Black Sea port.
Turkey can, OF course, do nothing
on the western front; she can do
mighty little in the event Russia de-
cides to attack India through Iran
and Afghanistan. Those countries
are unprepared to fight a war with
country possessing a modern army,
and Turkey cannot assist them by
providing tanks and airplanes.
OF course, the Ankara govern
ment might take the lead to revive
the Balkan bloc, but that is mostly
wishful thinking.
In the event Italy were to join
the Nazis, Turkey and Greece could
provide excellent bases for the allied
fleets operating against Italy. But
neither Turkey nor Greece could
attack Italy by land nor could they
interfere with Italy's sea actions.
Tho efYect ~ T,,rkev,e io;pipo thu
allies has undoubtedly had an i'm
portant moral reaction throughout
the Balkans. This would be trans
lated into practical politics If the
Turkish and Rumanian diplomats
were to induce King Boris Of Bull
garia, who is fundamentally pro-
British and pro-French, to throw
the lot Of his country on the side
of the allies.
Bulgaria 'tRa' between Turkey