BULGARS' 'PLAINT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 125, 8 March 1935, Page 5

BULGARS' 'PLAINT

TURKISH TROOPS MOVE CONCENTRATING ON FRONTIER. FEVERISH ACTIVITY DISPLAYED RECRUITING OF IRREGULARS. "DEFENCE OF DARDANELLES." (United Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) GENEVA, March 7. M. Antonoff (Bulgarian delegate to the League of Nations) has directed attention to the concentration of Turkish troops on. the Turko-Bulgarian frontier. ,If it continued it would necessitate an appeal to the League but it was hoped there would be friendly settlement. He added that Turkish forces in Eastern Thrace had during the last 12 months been increased from one division of infantry and one cavalry to four of infantry and one of cavalry, additional to artillery, aggregating five hundred guns. The Turks were also recruiting irregulars designed to operate against Bulgaria in the event of hostilities.

Turkey, said M. Antonoff, was displaying feverish activity similar to that on the eve of war, including the fomenting of civilian agitation against Bulgaria, while the troops were openly talking of an early offensive and declaring'that they could occupy Southern Bulgaria within 24 hours. He added that the Turks in their reply to Bulgaria's protest declared: "The moves were made to defend the Dardanelles."

M. Antonoff pointed out that if the Turkish concentration had followed the Greek revolt it would hayo been more explicable as a warning to Bulgaria not to take advantage of the embarrassment of Greece, but it had developed before the Greek outbreak.

Piquancy is added to the' situation owing to 'Tewfik Rustin Bey being president of the League of Nations Council.

Meanwhile the Turkish Minister at Berne has received newspaper representatives. He ridiculed the suggestion of Turkish bellicosity. He said that Turkey as a member of the Balkan Entente was associated with Greece. The special entente could not be indifferent to the movements of the Bulgarian troops that were being carried out on the Bulga-Greek frontier.