Evening star., 1941-06-19
Turkish Circles Soy
All Signs Point to
War With Soviet
Hy the Associated Press.

mlllLdIy preparations GUudy d.
Europe stirred with rumorS OF
an impending new Nazi wal
stroke following signing yester-
day of a German Turkish accord
BY presidential decree all Finn
ish reserve officers were made
regular army officers.
1t appeared evident that Fin
land, dominated by Germany
and arch foe of Soviet Russia,
was making last-minute prepa-
rations for a new conflict.
Dispatches from Helsinki, the
Finnish capital, said the populace
calmly and quietly was obeying
measures to safeguard their inde-
pendence as they did in 1899 when
the war with Russia broke out.
The Helsinki newspaper Sanomat
declared that circumstances outside
our control may give events a turn
that can jeopardize our sovereignty
peace and liberty TO the extent that
we are forced to defend them with
everything in our power.
Frantic Mobilization" in Russia.
Only few days ago. Helsinki re-
ports said Russia was withdrawing
troops from the Soviet military base
at Hanko, Finland, on which Rus
sia had a 30-year lease.
A British exchange telegraph dis
patch from Sweden quoted Stock
holm dispatches as saying travellers
frum Russia to Finland had OBJ
served a frantic mobilization in
Russia, along the railway line from
Moscow to Leningrad. The rail line
was reported blocked by troops and
materiel.
Earlier, entirely unconirmed re-
ports from Turkey declared that
Germany had already started an
invasion of Russia, attacking the
Soviet border at Is points, after a
German diplomatic stroke had neu-
tralized Turkey and virtually 1so-
lated the U, S. S. R.
Blow at Soviet or Suez.
While the German accord
uas interpreted by informed quar-
ters in London as virtually an lnfal-
lible portent of tremendous new
Nazi military stroke, the question
remained whether it would be aimed
at Soviet Russia or Suez.
These sources asserted that the
friendship pact fits we'll into the
now-familiar German practice OF
isolating intended blitzkrieg victims
by cajolery or by threats against
their neighbors.
BY the conquest of Crete, oc-
eupation of the Aegean Islands and
domination of the frontier OF
Turkish Thrace, Hitler has been in
a position to enforce the original
heavy demands he made on the
Turks" informed sources said.
Reports of Soviet Crisis Accentuated.
But Turkey would have chosen
to fight instead and, despite the
countrys lack of equipment, that
would have been a bitter campaign.
Evidently Hitler was impatient to
get any kind of an understanding
so he could proceed to quick action
elsewhere, evidently believing he
would be free at some later date
really to make Trukey come to
terms"
These sources declared that per
hsps the greatest potential menace
was Turkeys agreement to control
her press and radio, both of which
have been friendly to Britain and
hostile toward the Axis.
Wonder was expressed as to how
they would be able now to maintain
friendly relations with both sides.
Open Break With Moscow Seen.
Informed British circles agreed
that all signs pointed to the posi-
bility of an open break between
Berlin and Moscow and that the
treaty had placed Adolf Hitler in
powerful position to enforce his will
on Russia.
They regarded with skepticlsm,
however, the unconfrmed reports
from Turkey that Germany or Ru-
mania had served an ultimatum on
Russia and that Nazi troops had
fallen upon the Soviet border.
Whatever the basis for the rumorS,
London believed there was ample
foundation for the belief that Hitler
is steadily applying pressure to Rus
sia to gain economic concessions
vital to Germany's war plans.
Highly placed British circles be-
Iieved Hitler really meant business
in his dealings with Russia. and that
reports of tension between Berlin
and Moscow were not merely an
artifice to cover up plans for bold
German stroke at another point.
"An Signs Point to War"
Dispatches from Ankara reported
that German air squadrons along
the Rumanian-R Russian frontier had
been heavily reinforced and Nazi
circles in the Turkish capital we're
quoted as saying frankly that all
signs point to war with Russia"
Diplomatic circles in Ankara said
they had no direct knowledge of any
German Russian negotiations, but
it was common belief there that
Germany had demanded the entire
exportable surplus of the Ukraine
grain crop and direction of the
Soviet railways, oil industry and
vital mining enterprises.
Such demands, if granted, would
make Russia virtually an economic
yassal of Germany, these sources
said. They expressed belief that
Soviet Premier Joseph Stain was
playing desperately for time while
massing his Red Army to meet the
threat of German troop concentra-
ton along his frontier.
Yugoslav military and diplomatic
attaches who left Moscow recently
when Russia withdrew recognition
of their refugee government were
quoted as saying that Stain had
(see RUSSIA, Page A-40