Rome, Nov. 3.
A restricted Balkan neutralibloc excluding Rumania and Turkey may be formed if efforts to create a more extensive one fail, Italian political circles stated tonight, Italy herself would abstain from taking official leadership of the neutral group, but would be its moving spirit, they added, Rumania and Turkey would be left out of this bloc because Rumania is strongly guaranteed by the Allies and is in a tricky position/as regards Soviet Russia, Hungary and Bulgaria, while Turkey is regarded here to have unequivocally entered the Allied camp.
Threatened by revisionist claims from Budapest and Sofia Rumania is also menaced on the east by Russia, whose former province, rich Bessarabia, she now holds.
Italy, foreign observers stated, cannot be held to be neutral for she may yet enter the conflict on either side, For these reasons, a restricted bloc, which would answer Italian purposes in stemming German and Soviet penetration in the Balkans and toward the Mediterranean, may be preferred in the end.—Havas, Moscow Shows Atütude Moscow, Nov. 3.
Rumanian participation in any ims ing Soviet-Turkish parleys was declared here tonight to be most unlikely. The Turks, on their part, Were stated to be "still ready" to resume the conversations that their Foreign Minister, M. Sukru Sarajoglu, had here last month, Problems to be studied are those concerning the strategic Dardanelles, sole channel of entry into the Black Sea, and the Balkans in general, Bessarabia is regarded by Ankara to be\ an extra-Balkan question, Turkish quarters stated that if Soviet Russia were to raise this Bessarabian problem, Rumania alone should settle it with Moscow.
In his speech two days ago, the Soviet Foreign Commissar, M. Viacheslav Molotoff, made no mention of this thorny issue. Foreign observers recalled that Turkey was interested in the fate of Rumania as she was bound, by her new treaty with the Allies, to aid Rumania should they, in fulfillment of their obligations, be compelled to render assistance' to Rumania and Greece.—Havas O.B.E. for Captain for Eluding U-Boat Norway, Mrs, Florence Jaffray Harriman, has informed the State Department that the City of Flint is now flying the American flag.
The State Department, in an announcement, says: "It appears that the commander of the German prize crew requested permission to renter Haugesund harbour to deliver a sick American seaman to the United States Consul there. The Norwegian Admiral sent a doctor aboard who reported that the seaman was (Continued on page 10, col. 2)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.