AID TO TURKEY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 19 March 1940, Page 5

AID TO TURKEY

IN EVENT OF ATTACK ALLIES BOUND BY TREATY REPLY TO QUESTION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS [British Official Wireless] (Received 19th March, 10.50 a.m.) RUGBY, 18th March. The Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr Butler, was asked in the House of Commons if in view of the fact that Finland was the second country to fall in the war of aggression a comprehensive plan existed between France and Britain to render immediate military aid to Turkey should her integrity be threatened, or if it was expedient for her to go to the aid of a neighbouring State? Mr Butler replied that Britain and France are bound by Article I of the treaty of mutual assistance with Turkey to give Turkey all the aid and assistance in their power in the event of her being involved in hostilities with a European Power in consequence of aggression by that power against Turkey. The form that assistance should take had been and is the subject of consultation between the three Governments. This consultation will take into account the contingency referred to in the second part of the question. Mr Butler’s own and other answers in the House of Commons indicated that he witt deal in a statement to-morrow with figures of the material assistance sent to Finland and the possibility of financial assistance in Finnish reconstruction, and yesterday’s raid on the Orkneys. BROADCASTWEATHER REPORTS TWO MEN IMPRISONED IN HOLLAND < Received 19th March, 11.45 a.m. ) ROTTERDAM, 18th March. A Dutchman named Bakker was sent to gaol for six years for secretly broadcasting weather reports to Germany. A German named Dreves was sentenced to a similar term of imprisonment for serving as a go-between for Bakker.