Overture to Battle

Foreign News

That venerable, paunchy group of symphonists, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, was billed to appear in Ankara before the end of March. Their program was not announced to the world at large, but last week it seemed almost certain that they would play the overture to a great Middle Eastern push by Adolf Hitler.

The push might take one of several courses. It might strike through Turkey toward the oil of the Caucasus. But the barren mountain wastes of Asiatic Turkey would be hard going and easy to defend--if, after Hitler's ceaseless diplomatic pressure, Turkey still chose to defend herself.* More likely, Hitler would strike toward the Caucasus through Russia, would by-pass or edge along western Turkey and drive through Syria toward the oil of Iran and Iraq. And very likely he would blast down the Mediterranean toward Suez, whose capture would speed him toward joining the Japanese in the Indian Ocean.

The Allies were hastily preparing their own rival program. Most of the thousands of warplanes exported by Britain last year had been sent to Libya and the Middle East. The British were pouring huge funds for defense projects into Syria, Palestine and Iraq.

Tens of thousands of Arab workmen were delighted by the good wages. But they remained skeptical about Britain's ability to stop the Nazis. Axis propaganda kept telling them that the British would let them down, whereas the Axis would make their dreams of a united Arabia come true. Two of the chief propagandists, operating from Rome, were Iraq's ousted quisling Premier, Rashid Ali El-Gailani, and the sly, self-styled Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Jah Amin el Husseini. In Syria, mass dislike of the Free French-British puppet Government was breaking out in the form of bread riots. In Iraq, pro-Axis youth movements were active. In Iran, the Japanese Legation was a propaganda hotbed.

The Allied defense of the Middle East would unquestionably be greatly helped by the support of the millions of Arabs and other Moslem groups, greatly hindered by their passive resistance or revolt. Last week the whole Moslem world was waiting to see what Britain, in her negotiations with India, would offer India's vast Moslem minority.

In India, Britain had a chance to strengthen the Allied position in the Middle East.

But it was fantastic to suppose that in the next few weeks great headway could be made with the Middle East's many national, racial and religious conflicts. It was not only a question of the pan-Arab dream. Turks feared Russians, and Iranians abhorred them. Syrians disliked French. Arabs and Jews were ancient enemies. Arabs loathed Turks. The Allied Middle Eastern command last week thought it would be lucky if it could keep the Middle East audience quiet while it battled Hitler on the stage.

* Last year German Ambassador Franz von Papen told Turkey: "You have nothing to fear so long as I am here." Last week Ambassador von Papen was not there, but on his way to Germany. With him was King Boris of Bulgaria. Turkish Ambassador to Germany R. Husrev Gerede had returned to Turkey.

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