Evening star., 1946-02-10
Peace Treaty With Italy
To Be Real Test. of UNITY
British Concern Over Life Line in Mediterranean
and Russian Desire for Access to Sea Bring
Delicate Problems.
By Constantine Bro,pn

tine Brovn
to form another subject of bitter con-
troversy.
The Russians have not taken a def
mite position as to whether they want
trusteeship over the island of Rhodes
or the entire archipelago. This matter
Is closely connected with their plans
concerning Turkey. The Russian gov
ernment- nt-sponsored newspapers have
been waging war of nerves on the
Turks. Russia, according to the au-
thorized voices from Moscow-that is,
the newspapers and the radio-wants
not only large strip of Eastern Anato-
liza, which would bring the Soviet border
"uncomfortably" close to the Mosul OIL
fields, but also complete physical control
| over the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.
This is not matter strictly between
Russia and Britain but between Turkey
| and Russia, which is expected to enter
into its final phase some time this spring.
The U. S. S. r. has been making mill
tary preparations to enforce its claims
for several months The latest reports
from Bulgaria show that the Red armies
on the Turkish borders are being rapidly
reinforced. In the last two months two
more large" divisions have crossed the
Danube to strength the existing 81 Soviet
divisions in Bulgaria.
Most recent dispatches report that in
January 300 tanks also were sent south
of the Danube. The Russian armies in
| the Caucasus and in autonomous
Azerbaijan' also are being rapidly in
creased
No military operations against Turkey
from across the Balkan mountains or
across the mountainous area in Eastern
Anatolia are possible at this time of the
year. The favorable season for military
action arrives only after the snow begins
to melt, some time in the middle Of
March or the beginning of April.
British Position Delicate.
After Soviet Foreign Commissar Molo-
tov curtly refused to discuss the Turkish
question in December with Secretary Of
State Byrnes and Foreign Secretary
Bevin the general stats in both coun-
tries held their breath wondering what
would happen next.
Britain is in a difficult position. 1t
has a 2o-year treaty of alliance with
Russia and with Turkey and will be re-
quired to take definite stand if armed
conflict breaks out between the two. 1t is
obligated to assist the Turks in the event
of attack by third party.
The treaty of alliance with Russia
provides that the high contracting
parties agree to act in accordance with
the two principles of not seeking ter
ritorial aggrandizement for themselves
and of noninterference in the internal
affairs of other states. On the basis of
this article in the Russo-British treaty
the London government might. be able
to support the Turks because any Soviet
encroachment on Turkish territory would
void the whole treaty. But the British
are not in a mood to embark on any
adventure which might lead them to an
armed conflict.
Backed by the State Department, the
British Foreign Office is making strenu-
GUS efforts to convince the Ankara gov
ernment to adopt coneiliatory attitude
toward the U. S. S. R. and make some
concessions, such as permitting the
Russians to establish one or more mill
tary and air bases on the shores of the
Dardanelles and in the Bosphorus.
President Ismet Inonu is being told
that this slight infringement" of Tur-
keys sovereignty is much preferable to
armed conflict with neighbor whose
military might they can't possibly resist.
Turks Are Stubborn.
The Turks are stubborn, but Wash
ington and London hope they will ulti-
mately listen to reason" But until the
question of Russia's exit from the Black
Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean has
been settled, nobody knows how far the
Moscow diplomats will press their claims
for the Italian islands in the Aegean
Sea.
The question of how the Allies should
dispose of the property of a defeated
country would cause no serious trouble
If harmony between the Big Three had
not been so badly disrupted since V-J
day. ....
Moscow is suspicious of Great Britain
and the United States because it believes
that both countries are trying to shackle
her expansionist desires, which extend
from the Mediterranean to the Pacific
Britain is suspicious of Russia because
: it is convinced that Russia's principal
effort now is to disrupt the British EN-
pire. Russiais action. in Iran is consid-
cred by British diplomats to be tangible
Droof of Mascow'S aims Althnuoh, the
. Iranian question has been satisfactorily
. settled the British are not deceivine
themselves They fear that after the
U. S. S. r. has driven a wedge into
Turkey, which. has been q bone OF
contention between the two powers for
almost 100 years, Russia will exploit her
success and remove all vestige of British
influence in that area.
London is equally suspicious of Rus
sia's aims in the Eastern Mediterranean
which heretofore has been considered
the exclusive playground of the British
The American Government is a silent
witness to this struggle between Britain
and Russia. The attempt by Secretary
Byrnes to play the role of honest broker
may be more difficult than he realizes
The curtain-raiser at the first session
Of the UNO Security Council, where all
polite and time-honored diplomatic
speech has been cast aside for plain
talking. has given the world the first
glimpse of struggle which started in q
concealed manner at Teheran and came
to the surface during the meeting OF