Allies Build Up Big Armies In Near East

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1940, Page 5

Allies Build Up Big Armies In Near East

(Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, January 30. A SEMI-OFFICIAL STATEMENT ISSUED IN PARIS CONFIRMS THAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE ARE BOTH BUILDING UP POWERFUL ARMIES IN THE NEAR EAST FOR THE PURPOSE OF FULFILLING THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO TURKEY, GREECE AND RUMANIA.

The statement says the Allies will have in the Near East ■sufficient men to deal with any eventualities. A message from Zurich, Switzerland, says the German Press svstematieally attacks Turkey.

The newspaper “Der Montag” declares that what happened to Poland will be the fate of Turkey.

Rome, Berlin Attack Turkey.

It alleges that the Allies are trying to make the Dardanelles a problem similar to the Polish Corridor, thus embroiling Turkey and Russia. The visit to Ankara of the French Commander-In-Chief in the Near East (General Maxime Weygand) was directed to this end, says the newspaper.

According to a Rome dispatch, the Italian Press echoes the German attempts to isolate Turkey, and so cause disunity in the Balkan Entente.

The newspaper “II Giornale D’ltalia” says:

“The Anglo-Turkish Pact detached Turkey from her traditional Balkan line and created fear.

‘Turkey now expresses Allied aspirations, and is no longer a faithful element in the neutral understanding of the Balkans.” Russia Extends Railways. The Russians are extending their strategic railways along the RussoTurkish and Russo-lran frontiers, says “The Times.” They propose also to build a road from Stalingrad, some 250 miles from the mouth of the River Volga, through the North Caucasus to the Rumanian border.