Evening star., 1941-04-07
Turkey Prepares
Again for War
Writer Holds Conquest Of
Struits Vitul to
HitIer's Plans
TURKEY, By Emil Lengyel. Published
by Random House, NelD York.
Bg John c. Henry.

From the earliest days of men and
Turkey has played an inordinately i'm
portant part in the shaping of European
and world history.
1t has done this, it should be ex-
planned, not by being always strong or
positive in its political, economic or mil
itary influence, but rather through the
fact of being strategically located across
one of the worlds three most vital
waterways. and by serving conveniently
as profiting pawn in the international
game of power politics. To this might
be added an inscrutablity of mind which
has ever been the possession of the Turk
ish people and their leaders-and which
the rest of Europe's politico-d diplomats
have so frequently misinterpreted.
Relatively little has been written for
American readers about the Turks, their
history, and their destiny, largely per-
haps because only a few of today's
writers have sufficient flrst-hand infor-
nation and comprehension Of the subject
to produce an authoritative volume
Emil Lengyel, Hungarian by birth
and a journalist and educator by profess
sion, possesses these necessary qualifca-
tionS and to his several earlier works on
contemporary European politics he has
now added an informative and readable
volume. With its closing chapter dated
February 18 of this year, the book pos
sesses the virtue of being about as nearly
up to date as is possible for any printed
word except your daily newspaper.
There are, however, traces of haste in
the writing of it, probably to assure its
appearance on the bookshelves while the
issue of Turkish conduct in Europes
present conflict is still matter of news
and of speculation, condition which
may explain occasional disjointedness
and repetitious treatment of certain
parts of the subject.
The Turk has always been a nomad,
sweeping back and forth across parts of
Asia Minor and Southeastern Europe,
fighting often and fiercely, feeling little
sentiment about the lands which he
owned and lost and regained. 1t was be-
cause he was a nomad, Mr. Lengyel
points out, that the Turk embraced the
Arab religion of Islam, incorporated
Persian and Arabic words into his Ian
guage, and then in the post-World War
days brusquely threw aside the Oriental
habits and prejudiceS to embrace the
Western civilization of the new Tur-
key"
Typically, as noma6, the Turk
fought savagely and cruelty, indifferent
to death for himself and for those facing
him. once visiting massacre upon the
-neighboring Bulgarians and later nearly
wiping out the entire Armenian popula-
tion of Asia Minor. To compensate for
these qualities, Lengyel accords to the
Turk great charity and a dignified pride
of race
AS noted. no single circumstance has
played so large a part in. Turkeys his
tory as the presence of the Turkish peo-
pie by the ancient Hellespont, the Dar-
denelles of today, marine corridor by
which the Eastern Balkans and the
great Russian bear have access to the
Mediterranean and the trade routes of
the world. Many have been masters of
these straits, plus the Sea of Marmora
and the BoSporus, for short periods, but
none has returned to control more often
or more completely than the Turk
abetted openly or covertly at various
times by Britain. by France, by Russia,
by Germany and by lesser powers, at
other occasions fighting each of them.
But it was the consistent inability of
these nations to bury their jealousies of
each other which invariably left with the
Turk the power which both his friends
and his foes so often wanted. The re-
counting Of these interludes of war and
politics makes one of Mr.. Lengyels best
chapters.
Effective, too. is the authors treat
ment OF Turkeys iron man." the late
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the fierceN pa
triotic leader who in recent years has
built a new nation out of an old race
and outmoded PHILOSOPHERS. Admirably,
he speaks also of "the three wise men of
the East" the rulers of Turkey today,
President Ismet' Inonu, Prime Minister
Reflk Saydam and Foreign Minister
Sucru Saracoglu.
or Turkeys probable course today and
tomorrow, Mr.. Lengyel emphasizes the
many reasons why Hitler must plan for
eventual conquest of the commanding
straits territory If ever he is to achieve
the Lebensraum for which he crates so
loudly-but whether such difficult con-
quest could ever be achieved he wisely
refrains from saving