M. Gafencu at Ankara At Ankara last week M. Gafencu,
the Rumanian Foreign Minister, declared that Turkey and Rumania have a special responsibility for maintaining stability in the Balkans ; and his visit to Turkey, and later to Greece, has thrown some light on how that task is being performed. At the present moment the Balkan Entente has two wings, Turkey and Yugoslavia ; the first has committed herself to a defensive and offensive agreement with Great Britain, the second has moved towards co-operation with the Axis. Such divergent tendencies might well split the Entente, and Rumania has an invaluable function to perform by reconciling them, especially as both may be held to endanger the armed neutrality by which the Balkan allies hope to preserve their security. Thus M. Gafencu's confident statement that the unity of the Entente would be preserved is encouraging, especially as it was made after he had ascertained the views of Turkey and Yugoslavia. On the other hand, he made it clear that Rumania is not prepared to enlarge the Entente by sacrificing territory to Bulgaria ; though this is an obstacle to Balkan unity, it is difficult to quarrel with Rumania's view that to enter on territorial revision at this moment would be attended by the greatest dangers, for herself and for her neighbours. The final conclusion of Turkey's agreement with France is a welcome development.
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