Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-10-13
Chromium SymboIizes
Turkeys Troubles
Writer Tells How Inonu
Seeks Peace and Comfort
For Modern Ottoman State
By Mary Ann Bodine.

keys troubles and her success in strategic
juggling of diplomatic dynamite.
Chromium is essential in armament
steel. Germany needs it. England needs
it much less, but England also wants to
cut off Germany's supply.
England, therefore, made deal with
Turkey for all her chromium. Germany,
however, has just arranged with Turkey
to get half her chromium beginning in
1913
Turkey-"in the middle" both geo.
graphically and diplomatically-ha al
most satisfied her two belligerent GUS
toners. Meantime she is collecting
from both, each paying anxiously so as
to keep in line-which at present means
Well-balanced on tightrope.
With England, Turkey has a treaty of
mutual assistance, signed in 1882 With
Germany, Turkey has a non-aggression
friendship treaty concluded last June
Recently Turkey signed new trade
agreement with England. A few days
ago Turkey signed a trade pact with the
Reich.
The British have been pursuing the
Turks rather feverishly for the past
two years, but Germany's courtship is of
much longer standing.
President Inonu and Foreign Min
lister Saracoglu have kept Turkey on the
course OF self-reliance and independence
OF action charted by the builder of
modern Turkey, Renal Ataturk. They
continually have played the great powers
against one another in the interests of
their country without committing Tur-
key irrevocably to either side.
Saracoglu has reiterated this stand:
Turkey will oppose with force any and
all aggression that might be directed
against her territorial integrity and in
dependence" Beyond that she has
chosen not TO go.
1t may be that Turkey can pursue this
policy of cultivating friendly relations
on all sides with more success than she
did in the last war. when she allowed
her sentiments to veer sharply toward
Germany. The results Of championing
the interests of one beligerent over the
other no doubt inspired much of her
present day caution
There was a PERIOD following the
Balkan wars, when the Germans loudly
complained that Turkey had been
stricken with "anglomania." If so, Great
Britain lost her chance to cement that
temporary popularity by not answering
call for help in recognizing Turkeys
state machinery.
For some unexplained reason England
failed to lend her assistance, and Turkey
turned again to the arms of Germany,
which had been offering her comfort
for 30 years
Emperor William II often had pro-
claimed his friendship for the Turks.
The kalsers experts since 1888 had been
engaged in developing Turkeys economic
resources and building her railroads. His
officers had reorganiZed and stated the
Turkish Army More important still
Germany had increased her trade with
the Ottoman Empire until Turkish ex-
ports to that country jumped in 20 years
from about two million marks to more
than 50 million.
Germany took no steps toward actual
alliance until II days after the Seraievo
shooting, when she persuaded Turkey to
sign a defensive pact.
At the beginning of hostilities in 1914
turkey played the same wary game she
Is Playing To-Day. MilitariSts who wanted
to enter the conflict as an ally of Ger
many were kept in hand until the scales
OF public sentiment dipped sharply in
thelr favor following Great Britain's act
IN requlsitioning two battleships being
built in her yards for the Turkish NAVY
Germany Immediately sent her friend
TWO SHIPS to take their places.
Still, Turkey might have remained a
neutral, even after closing the OAR
danelles and mobilizing, but-supposedlv
without the knowledge of any member
OF the turkish government-the German
commander in chief of the Turkish fleet
attacked Russian vessels in the Black
sea and bombarded Russian harbors
Anxious to avoid war, Turkey proposed
an inquiry with a view toward tearing
up her treaty with Germany, but Russia
declined and declared war. Great Brit
am and France followed suit and, three
months after fighting began an unwill-
Ing Turkey had been forced into the
conflict.
Inc war of 19l4-19l8 left the old
ottoman Empire ruined. That Turkey
escaped ACKNOWLEDGMENT was due to the
appearance of Ataturk, who disposed of
the last of the Sultans, secularized the
new republic and ended 500 Years of
ISlamic domination.
1t was the Gray Wolf, as Ataturk was
called, who streamlined Turkey and
ADOPTED the opportunist policy of foreign
relations He was for many wears an
enemy of England because that country
opposed his demands for complete abro-
CATION of treaties giving special COM
merclal privileges to foreigners. He
broke up the first meeting of the
Lausanne Conference, which was to re-
suit in Turkeys regaining almost all she
had lost in the war, but in the latter
part OF the 1920s came to a secret agree
ment with England.
Ataturk composed the differences that
had led to the Greek-Turkish war. He
was on good terms with the Soviet. al
though he ruthlessly put down Commu-
nlStlc uprisings within his own borders.
He was strong supporter of the League
OF Nations and of the European powers
defending the territorial status quo, but
he did not ALLEVIATE Germany.