Evening star., 1940-06-23

Turkey Readyfor War;
Completely Mobi|izes
On Strategic Frontiers
ItoIy Causes Anxiety,
But Close Watch Kept
On Bulgarian Activity
BY LELAND STOWE.

ChicaEo Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
ISTANBUL, June % (By Radio
Since Kemal Ataturk established
the Ottoman republic, 20 years ago
the Turks have never been so clost
to war as they are today, nor have
they ever ben so completely mobil.
lied on their frontiers. Militar,
precautions continue here at ar
accelerated tempo and several ad.
ditional classes of recruits are re.
ported to have been called up withir
the past few days.
The evacuation of Adrianpole, just
IN front OF the Bulgarian border
now appears definitely to be sched.
uled, or to have been partially car.
ried out, according to residents from
tnat area. In any case, army au.
thorities continued to reuuisitior
trucks and lorries on a wholesale
scale at 1stanbul yesterday. Ere.
quently, trucks were taken wher.
ever found on the streets.
Military measures center alone
the Turko-B Bulgarian frontier bu1
the fact cannot be disguised tha
Italy is the prime cause of Ankara, ;,
anxiety. The Turks fear the Ital.
1ans nave made a deal with Sofa
whereby the Bulgarians would driy,
straight southwark to grab theil
coveted outlet on the Aegean See
While Fascist divisions, striking east.
ward from Albania, seize Salonika
Bulgaria Has Plans.
The Turks know that the Bull.
garlans do not want war, but the,
also know that Bulgaria wants t.
recapture the portion of Macedonia
which she once held. OF much great.
er concern to the Turks is the posi-.
olllty that Premier Benito Mussolin
may choose Salonika as his frs
strategic goal for waging offensiv.
warfare in the Eastern Mediter.
ranean. Salonika Harbor is danger.
ously close to the Dardanelles-mucl
TOO near for Turkeys comfort. Fo,
this reason an Italian drive acros.
Northern Greece would .invite 6
turkish race through Thrace tt
reach Salonika first.
None of these things may happer
IN the immediate future, or again
they might. That depends chief,
upon whether Mussolini elects tt
wage war against Egypt or whethe,
ne prefers to risk spreading the
war into the lower Balkans by in.
vadlng Northern Greece. 1t NAV
also depend very largely upon
whether Italy has reached a secret
agreement with Soviet Russia. Pres.
sure from Moscow upon Ankara. il
strongly applied, could be sufficient
to immobilize the Turks-especially
II the Soviets threaten Turkey from
the rear. In such a case. Italy and
Bulgaria might conceivably enjoy a
free hand in Macedonia against the
hapless Greeks.
Much Speculation.
everything is speculation ir
southeastern Europe today. All
kinds of rumors circulate. One OF
the latest, uncomfortable, reports has
1t that the Russians have asked Tur-
key for access to the Dardanelles-
something which would be viewed
with acute distaste here if it were
true. The Turks regard themselves
not merely the guardians but also as
the owners of the Dardanelles. They
are most determined to maintain
this title without any mortgages held
by any one. Turkey is credited with
having 8 or 10 divisions opposite the
Bulgarian frontier. The Bulgarians
are said to have half of their total
of Is divisions between the Martha
River and the Black Sea on their
side of the border, but neither Turks
nor Bulgars are spelling for a fight
If left alone, there would be slight
chance for conflict between them
at present.
Mussolinis war plans make all the
difference. If the French Army ir
Syria refuses to surrender whatever
happens to France, that. too, may
make a great difference for the
prospects of peace in this quarter
of the Balkans.
tcopyright, 1910. by Chicago Daily News