The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-02-13
Observations
Neutrality Of
Turkey Benefit
For Allies
By Charles p. Stewart

For Allies
BY Charles p. Stewart
President Ismet lnonu OF rur-
key is officially described as hav'
ing pretty strongly emphasized
his country's neutrality, in recent
conversations al Cairo with Prime
Minister Winston Churchill, short
Iy following the Churchill's Casa
blanca conference with President
Roosevelt.
Il Is healthily suspected. how
ever, that the AnEara chief eXecu-
tive did this more for the sake
OF the record than because OF any
unalterable determination not TO
permit the United Nations to en-
tice his government off the fence
il they grant 1t the concession Tor
which he appears to have been
maReuVering. That the Turks pre-
fer this republic and Great Brl-
tain to Germany there has been
no question from the FIRST.
President Inonu has said so. n
fact. Indeed. his form OF neutrali-
" is of value to the Allies rather
than to the Axis. Its obvious et-
feet will be to demoralize Nazi
and Fascist activities in the east
ern Mediterranean, where they Inn
peratively need plenty of free
dom of movement in connection
with their interests in North Afrl-
ca. The British and Americans,
arriving from the westward, en-
counter no such difficulty. Turkish
neutrality. consequently, hardly
embrasses them at all. whereas
il is very serious for the Axis. Ot
course the latter might undertake
TO disregard il, but lnonu already
has intimated that THAT Will
make him fight.
II is quite likely that Allied help
in such an event is one of the as
surances he is bargaining for. His
men are among the worlds best
scrappers but they do need equip
ment and all sorts Of supplies, and
can not get them except from the
United States.
Moreover, although, as previous
ly remarked. the Turks like
Americans and the British. Turk
relations with Russia have been
characterized by considerable fric-
ton in the past. Their president
may be asking pledges from
Washington and London to keep
a restraining hand each upon Mos
COW on into the postwar period.
Far be il from those Turks to ne
afraid OF anyone. Still, it stands
TO reason that Russia is too big
for them to handle alone.
Finally, it is among the possibi-
lities that there are peacetime
economic promises that they are
dickering for, and perhaps some
territorial acquisitions that they
would like to have guaranteed to
them, perhaps at German and TIA
Ian expense.
Just as an influence, independ-
emily of actual warfare, the An.
kara regime may prove extremely
useful to the United Nations while
the conflict still RACES. 1t is very
close to the Balkan people. being
such near neighbors and friendly.
II is not bad bet that the Ankara
folk can line up these overrun
Balkan areas quite formidably
against the European faction OF
the Axis, especially if it is some
What yUaa Lanipp DnU
In short, Turkey is a prospec-
tive ally not to be sneezed at.
Turkey was greatly misunder-
stood by the Occident in the past.
Its soldiers were recognized as
first class. but they were accused
OF indulging in massacres and mis-
cellaneous violence. The sultans
doubtless did practice some Of
this and gave the whole popula-
ton bad name
But when the last sultan. Abdul
Hamid, was overthrow, | paid a
visit to Constantinople. then the
capital, since moved TO Ankara.
(Constantinople's name. incident
ally. has been changed to Istan-
bull Abdul was out. No new
government had fully succeeded
him. Anarchy reigned. Yet there
was no disord ~ You were safer
in the Ottoman metropolis than
you are now OF nights on the main
streets Of the average American
metropolis.
Why is this thus?' | asked
First Secretary Louis Einstein OF
the United States embassy.
The real answer" said Louis,
long a Constantinopolitan resi-
dent, lis that this country has &C
tually an abnormally kindly, gen
tie. peaceable population"
That afternoon | stopped to get
a shine on the Rue Cabristan. op-
posite the embassy. The kid set
up his box just outside the curb.
AS he polished. approximately a
battalion OF Turkish cavalry turn.
ed corner and bore down on me.
tried to get out of the way. but
he hid hung on. The officer in
charge gave an order. The entire
cohort swerved and went around
me The boy politely saluted