NEWS OF THE WEEK
TURKEY has taken a step which has been long expected and long deferred ; she has severed diplomatic and economic rela- tions with Germany. The announcement was made by the Prime Minister, M. Sarajoglu, in a speech to the Grand National Assembly on Wednesday. Turkey's reluctance to take action sooner can be understood not only in the light of her kriaen "unwillingness to be involved in the war, but also because she has always depended so much on economic relations with Germany and the countries she occupies or controls. Some little time ago Great Britain felt com- pelled to stop the supplies of war and other materials which we had been sending—materials which we could more profitably use else- where—but now these supplies will be resumed, and a general under- taking has been given to give financial and economic assistance. Turkey had already stopped her exports of chrome to Germany ; now she will stop all other commodities, among them things so essential to the enemy as copper, cotton, wool and oil-seeds. Per- haps even more important will be the dismissal of Papen and the horde of Germans in Istanbul and Ankara, who carried on an active campaign of propaganda and espionage. The breach with Ger- many, of course, does not mean war unless Germany chooses, and it is extremely unlikely that Germany will press the issue to that point, for the immediate result would be the opening of the Dar- danelles to Allied warships and the use of Turkish aerodromes for Allied aeroplanes. None the less Turkey's action is valuable since it draws yet more tightly round Germany the circle of the economic blockade, and is a signal to the world that non-belligerents are sure of her collapse.
Previous page
