The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1943-08-19

human Menemencioglu, experienced
trade negotiations with the Nazis suf
ticient to turn the wheel of Turkish
economics against Germany. The Tur
ko-British trade pact of Jan %, 1910
secured for Turkey loans and credits
redeemablc in twenty years for the
achievement Of the industrializatior
| plans hut mostly for the moderiniza
ton Of the Army. Eighty German EEK.
! perts,' previously called advisers il
1 military and industrial matters, were
/ suddenly dismissed. In the agreement
Of fall, 1871, the whole Turkish out.
put Of chromium for 1941 and 1912
indispensable for the Nazi war ma.
chine, was pledged to Great Britain
while Germany was restricted to Turk.
ish cromium deliveries in 1913 anC
1914. dependent upon complete full
fillment of all Turkish countercIaims
S
/ Due to the strain imposed on Ger
man industry by the bombardment of
/ Allied air forces, the Nazis could not
comply with Turkish demands and
/ finally dropped the chromium problem
in the last negotiation of Dr. Clodius
/ in March-April, 1913. Significant for
them eager success obtained by the
latest agreement is the remark Of Dr.
/ Clodius: at was concluded to save
face Indeed, the pact is the tomb
stone Of German economic and politi-
cal aspirations in Turkey. The shift
] ing Of the economic interests to the
Allied side was carried through by
Mcnemencioglu and Bay Sanus, both
OF them eager to get rid Of German
economic tutelage.
! Instead, Turkey entered into a reli-
able partnership with Great Britain
! and the United States for the delivery
Of military equipment, machinery for
her own war industries, rolling stocks
and locomotives, needed for the new
railway lines Even in time Of her own
emergency Great Britain did not stop
shipments to Turkey of food and war
material from her stocks in East AT
lica, Iraq, and India. Military equip
mcnt such as guns, tanks, aircraft and
ammunition reached Turkey under the
.lend7le agreement over the rail
way line from Basra and the Persian
Gulf, Bagdad and the link Bagdad-
Nusseybin.
The attitude of the Turkish press,
mostly expressing the opinion Of gov
clnmental circles, at the end Of 1899
Indicated growing attachment to the
Allied cause. A steadily increasing
number Of newspapers openly con-
demncd Germany and Italy as aggres-
sor nations, especially since the inva-
sion Of Greece bound by friendship
ties to Turkey. The Axis propaganda
machine run by the German Ambas-
sador, Franz Won Papen, and his clique
in the consulates and German indus
trial firms, was in open discredit. Nazi
attempts in February, 1913, to open
rift in Turko- Russian relations in
spreading rumors about an eventual
Russian occupation Of the Straits were
strongly refuted. The press was not
slow to assert that Germany had al
ready lost the war and to discuss the
subject of the reconstruction Of
| Greece.
Speeches and actions Of the lead
ing statesmen clearly manifest the
change in the trend of Turkish diplo-
macy In several speeches Ismet Inonu
expressed his intention of keeping
/ Turkey out Of the war, as long as the
| interests of the nation were not at
stake, but to fight, if necessary. The
Adana Conference of February, 1913,
between Prime Minister Winston
Churchill and Ismet Inonu; the fire.
quent discussions of high-ranking Of
| fcers; the recent visit of the Comman-
der in Chief Of the British Mediter-
ranean Fleet, Sir Andrew Cunning
ham, indicate the closest cooperation
of Turkey and the Allies if Turkey
| should become involved in the war.
The veil, covering the decisions of the
/ Adana Conference, has not been lifted,
but there can be no doubt that the
/ present Turkish benevolent nonbellig-
crcncy is not a definite one. The Turks
may be 'ice-cold egotists," as a SweJ-
ish newspaper recently analysed their
attitude, but their egotism might soon
induce them to glide from nonbellig-
erency into a state Of belligerency.
The expected Allied attack against
! the Axis and the Balkans may touch
vital Turkish interests and affect Tur-
keys desire to occupy place at the
peace table. The Turkish nation in
! general is anti-AXis-minded. Turkish
| diplomacy is striving for a complete
restoration Of Greece and unity Of all
! liberated Balkan States under a uni
fled leadership. The Turks have never
abandoned the hope of getting bacl,
the Dodecanese Islands, coded to the
Italians in May, 1914, by an unjust
decision Of the Ambassadors confer
ence. In Italian hands they constitute
permanent threat to the Anatoliar
mainland and the passage of ships