Evening star., 1950-10-26
Europes Soft UnderbeIly
79 Turkish d.. Guard
Middle East From Red Army

patton. if inevitable . -s.ller
than complete destruction. The
Turk would prefer destruction.
So while the full force of a
Russian attack could unquestion-
ably take at least the major cities
of Turkey. many thousands Of
Russians would be killed in the
process. The Turks have built
a terrific fortification between
Istanbul and the Bulgarian
border. They have hundreds of
concrete pillboxes and miles of
barbed wire and since the Black
Sea is on one side of this narrow
neck of land and the Sea of
Marmora on the other there
would be no "end sweep" around
this modern Maginot line.
Would Have To Blast.
The Russians would have TO
dig or blast the Turks out and
that would be quite job for
any army. The Turks are getting
bazookas and tank destroyers
from the United States and more
are coming. Turkey is beginning
to get fighter planes and is put
ting it's own money into huge air
bases which. in terms of modern
bomber runs. are almost within
shouting distance of the big
Soviet oilflelds at Baku.
On the Caucasian side the
Turko-R Russian border is so
mountainous that it would be i'm
possible, military experts say. foI
the Soviets to attack there in
mechanical force There is an
invasion route from the east. but
to reach it the Reds would have
to swing down through Iran and
turn through corner of Iraq TO
reach Turkey.
If they came that way. 1t would
probably be only to hold the Turks
from attacking their flank as
they plunged southwark toward
South Iranian oil. american
officers stationed in Iran, who
happen to be here for con-
ferences with our military officials,
say that Gen. Hal Ali Razmara's
army. while not so strong as the
Turks, is not to be brushed off.
The Reds could do all this, but
only, say the experts, by major
effort.
All this adds up to the fact
that the Kremlin can scarcely
take on Turkey and capture the
DardanelleS, the Russian goal of
centuries, as a slde-show to an
invasion of Western Europe. If
it should cast the die for; war
it would have to decide-after an
attempt at our strategic air bases
whether to drive south for oil
or west for the Ruhr and control
of industrial Europe.
Could Beat Bulgarians.
If it struck across the north
German plain. generally consid-
cred most likely, the plains Of
Ihrace and Bulgaria are as good
tank country for a United Nations
forces moving up from the Dar-
danelles and Greece as for Red
tanks bound in the opposite di-
rection.
Even though still lacking many
OF the efficient elements of a
modern army. American experts
here say the Turks could smash
the Bulgarians, even with Rus
sian advisers" and equipment.
In Athens. they say the same
about the potentiality of beefed-
up Greek army Together, andl
particularly if Yugoslavia were
in the game on the Allied side,
such a U. N. force might smash
through the satellite countries
and turn loose all the latent Ii
toism, all the turbulence of a re-
leased underground, and give the
Kremlin overlords a mess to
handle.
The strategy. of course, is to-
build such a network of strength.
with tremendously increased and
diversified atomic airpower and
powerful forces both in western
and southern Europe, that Stain
will be convinced before he starts
that he could not win.
North American Newspaper AlIiones