BALKANS’ FURTHER ALARM OVER DEVELOPEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 9

BALKANS’ FURTHER ALARM OVER DEVELOPEMENTS

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.) LONDON, February 9. Tension in the Balkans heightened when Turkey uncovered evidence of a network of Nazi agents ready to perpetrate explosions and train wrecks at a Signal from Berlin, making it impossible to allow Germans to remain in strategic positions. It is alleged that German agents caused the explosion on the steamer 1 intern Abbey on January 30. A spokesman for the Governor of Istanbul denied that Germans had been ordered to leave 1 urkey. A message from Istanbul stated that the Turkish Government today dismissed a hundred German technicians employed by the air and naval ministries and gave them 48 hours notice to quit the country. Officials stated that no German in future will be employed in State-owned industries. This will involve seveial hundred more Germans. This measure is declared to have been taken in accordance with powers voted by the National Assembly to the Government for the protection of national defence. The only explanation forthcoming from lurkish official quarters is the cryptic remark, “Spring is coming.

An apparently inspired article in the Turkish Press, referring to the review by General Weygand in Egypt, says: “The Allies have counted on the possibility of a Russian attack across the Balkans toward the Dardanelles, and the Turkish armies will give adequate support to the defending forces." It is said in Turkey that Germany regards the Turkish move as having been inspired by Britain and France in another attempt to broaden the conflict. An earlier message said it was expected that the seizure of other German property would follow the seizure of the Krupp shipyards, and that it was learned that hundreds of German experts employed in Turkey would be discharged and sent to Germany, including technicians in factories, advisers to the Government, and professors In the Istanbul University and the Ankara Agricultural College. Germans have always beeii numerous in Turkey, and had almost a monopoly of some businesses till the outbreak of war.

Germany regards the affair as a trade matter between the Krupp shipyard and the Turkish Government. The German view is that, the technicians were not dismissed, but were forced to cease work because of lack of materials from Germany.