811.20 Defense(M) Turkey/928: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 24, 1944—6:43 p.m.]
284. In view of the increased deliveries of Turkish chrome to Germany during the past 3 months and considerable decrease in recent months in the movement of chrome for British account, my British colleague and I have made strong representations in writing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After a full discussion of the developments in the chrome situation during the past few months, Hugessen and I have agreed to renew to our Governments the recommendation made by the Embassies last October, reported in the Embassy’s 1716, October 18,9 that urgent consideration be given to the interruption of rail communications between Turkey and Axis Europe and that appropriate action be taken to disrupt the railway line between Istanbul and Sofia. In view of the changed conditions we do not consider it necessary to make the reservation made previously, that the rupture of the railway shall not occur too close to the Turkish frontier. We recommend that the railway be ruptured at the point which will result in the disruption of rail communication for the longest possible time.