SOVIET POLICY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 2, 27 September 1939, Page 9

SOVIET POLICY

Suggested Pact With Turkey CLOSING BLACK SEA (Received September 26, 7.10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Sept. 25. Diplomatic circles declare that the Soviet has offered a guarantee to Turkey against German expansion to the Black Sea if Turkey will agree to remain neutral and close the Black Sea to belligerents. _ It is not clear whether Russia and Germany have agreed on zones of influence in Rumania by which Germany would not extend to the Black Sea, or whether Russia is unilaterally giving a pledge to Turkey. The Soviet apparently fears that the Allies may attempt to seize the Baku oilfields, which are difficult to defend. At present the easiest route for oil to Germany is through the Black Sea and Rumania, which the British fleet would cut off if it were able to enter the Black Sea. Diplomatic circles believe that the proposal is only one of many which would be offered to the Turkish Foreign Minister, M. Saracoglu, while in Moscow. ESTONIAN MINISTER Departure From Moscow * (Received September 27, 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, September 26. The Moscow correspondent of “The Times” says the Estonian Foreign Minister was summoned at midnight to the Kremlin, where he saw a personage. He returned to his hotel, packed, spent the night at the legation and left by plane in the morning. It is reported that the Rumanian frontier is closed to traffic. The Turkish Foreign Minister has arrived and is expected to stay three days.

GENERAL VON FRITSCH

Mystery Of Death Deepens

(Received September 26, 7.30 p.m.)

LONDON, September 25.

The mystery regarding the. circumstances of General von Fritsch’s death deepens. The Swiss paper, “Neue Zureher,” expresses the opinion that he was not given a command but joined as a gunner in the twelfth artillery regiment. It adds that his presence at a reconnaissance operation before the Polish lines was, if he was a general officer, contrary to the elementary rules of warfare. Therefore, it was only shoulder to shoulder with soldiers, aud not at their head, that he could have fought. The Official German News Agency decrees that public buildings, the public services, and schools must observe mourning on the occasion of General von Fritsch’s funeral. The Warsaw radio announces that Gestapo agents assassinated General von Fritsch:. (The information comes from depositions of German prisoners.

HEAVY TAXATION INCREASE

New South Wales Budget

(Received September 27,12.5 a.m.)

SYDNEY, September 26.

After providing for a heavy increase in taxation, the New South Wales Treasurer, who delivered the Budget tonight in the State Assembly, estimated that the net deficiency would aggregate £1,512,000. Additional taxation will as follows: Company tax is being increased from 2/3 to 2/6 in the £l. Individual income tax is being increased by 8 per cent. There will be a supertax ot a shilling in the pound on taxpayers’ incomes exceeding £2OOO. Taxation on motor-vehicles will be increased by 124 per cent.

AUSTRALIAN NAVY

Arming Of Merchant Ships (Received September 27, 12.5 a.m.) MELBOURNE, September 26. The arming of merchant ships, both for defensive purposes and as armed merchant cruisers, has been iu progress since the outbreak of war, declares an Australian Navy Board bulletin issued today.

The merchantmen will assist the Australian cruisers in the defence of trade routes aud naval ratings have already sailed overseas as gun crews in defensively-equipped merchant vessels.