811.20 Defense (M) Turkey/837: Telegram
The Chargé in Turkey (Kelley) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 19—6:55 a.m.]
1716. My 1714, October 18, In view of the fact that supplies of chrome from sources under Axis control are inadequate to meet Axis requirements, Germans are now entitled to a considerable amount of [Page 1164] Turk chrome and they are bound to obtain a certain amount from Turkey however far Turks may go on reducing and delaying deliveries and Germans are now striving to get out of Turkey as much Turk produce as possible before end of year.
British Ambassador and I strongly recommend question of interruption of railway communications between Turkey and Axis Europe be given urgent consideration and appropriate action be taken to disrupt Sofia Istanbul railway line outside of Turk territory. German need of chrome is shown by German delivery to Turkey in a short period of time of not only entire 18 million Turk pounds of war material stipulated in schedule I–A of Clodius Agreement but also 96 million marks of war material specified under 100 million marks armament credit agreement. Furthermore Germans have made every effort to hasten deliveries of Turk chrome and with this end in view they recently made available to Turks locomotives and freight cars when Turks pleaded shortage of rolling stock.
Hugessen and I believe that the interruption of rail communications would not produce an unfavorable reaction on the part of the Turkish Government provided the rupture of the railway does not occur too close to the Turkish frontier. In this connection it is to be noted that the Turks have already received practically the entire amount of war material provided for under the Clodius Agreement and the Armament Credit and there does not appear to be much likelihood of their receiving any more. Presumably the demolition of the railway would be presented as a regular military operation.
We believe that the rupture of rail communications would greatly reduce German receipts of Turkish chrome. While such action would not entirely interrupt shipments from Turkey to Axis Europe, it would make the delivery of Turkish goods to Germany extremely difficult particularly if, as is hoped, Russian submarines become increasingly active in the Black Sea. Of the approximately 23,000 tons of chrome shipped to Germany between January 8 and September 30, 13,000 tons (of which 3,000 were sunk) were shipped by sea and 10,000 by rail. Furthermore, the rupture of rail communication would deprive Germany not only of Turkish products on which the American British Governments are spending large amounts for preemptive purchases but also of Turkish products with regard to which it is very difficult or impossible to take preemptive action.
My British colleague is telegraphing London along the foregoing lines.