Monies for Ismet

Turkish statesmen, whose time-honored profession is playing the rest of Europe off against Russia, scored again last week at Rome.

Recently brisk little Premier Ismet Pasha made a goodwill visit to Moscow (TIME, May 9) on which he scooped up an $8,000,000 loan, payable in Soviet goods, repayable in Turkish. Last week, Premier Ismet fraternized with Premier Mussolini, sipped his Asti spumante, swallowed his spaghetti, toyed with his black olives and figuratively held out an upturned Turkish palm. After dinner Il Duce entertained his Turkish friend by playing the violin. When Premier Ismet finally left for home he had secured a $15,000,000 loan, one-third in cash, the rest in Italian manufactures.

Meanwhile the British Empire had moved by flattery to retain the goodwill of Turkish Dictator Mustafa Kemal Pasha. The British Embassy at Ankara conveyed to President Kemal a presentation copy of the two-volume British official history of the Gallipoli campaign.

"Seldom in history." declares Vol. II, "can the exertions of a single divisional commander [Kemal] have exercised so profound an influence, not only on the course of a battle but perhaps on the fate of a campaign and even the destiny of a nation [Turkey]."

Plainly pleased. Dictator Kemal plied British Ambassador Sir George R. Clerk with champagne, toasted George V, traced with his long thumbnail on a map the places where Turks slaughtered 34,000 soldiers of the King.

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