"Prepare for the Unexpected"

Turkey and Russia acted last week like two small boys working up to a fight by insulting each other's big brother. In Moscow, Izvestia let out a blast declaring that Turkey was "fully drawn into the orbit of Anglo-French influence," accusing Turkey of trying to swing a Near Eastern bloc against Germany. What really got on Izvestia's nerves was the report that the Turks are building a new railroad toward Erzurum, back of the Russo-Turkish frontier.

Same day the Turkish press rang with accusations that Germany was trying to push Russia into offensive action in southeastern Europe. Discussing Russia's building of fortifications in the Caucasus, on the other side of the Russo-Turkish frontier, Istanbul's Ikdam warned: "War between the Soviets and the British-French Allies might lead to exhaustion of the belligerents. Then Germany could open an offensive on her tired enemies and impose her peace--with Russia paying the bill."

Chief result of the Balkan Entente's meeting last month was to establish Turkey as the strong man of a none-too-solid Balkan bloc (TIME, Feb. 12). Last week Turkey's Foreign Minister, shrewd Shokru Saracoglu, was back in Ankara after a trip to Sofia of which he said: "The Bulgarian Government now fully shares the Entente view that at this moment the general interests transcend any particular interests." In an interview with Correspondent Anne O'Hare McCormick of the New York Times, Foreign Minister Saracoglu took pains to point out that, whereas Turkey's agreement with France and Great Britain last fall exempts the Turks from having to fight Russia, it does not oblige them not to fight Russia. "Turkey is free to act as she sees fit."

"I think," said M. Saracoglu, "we are reasonably sure of peace, for this year, at least. . . . My confidence is founded on the ordinary processes of reason, but in these times logic and the human mind are too often overridden by the illogic of events. Therefore we do not let reasonable hope prevent us from preparing day and night for the unexpected."

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