YUGOSLAVS NEXT?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 52, 3 March 1941, Page 7

YUGOSLAVS NEXT?

SAME STEP AS BULGARS Last Balkan Power Friendly To Germany. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 2.

German radio quoted a wellinformed Yugoslav as forecasting closer Axis-Yugoslav co-operation.

The Berlin correspondent of the Zurich '"Die Tats" describes Bulgaria's decision to sign the Tripartite Pact as "'the first indirect product of (lie recent Turco-Bulgarian declaration.' . The paper predicts that Yugoslavia, as the last Balkan Power friendly to Germany, may l>e expected to take the same step iti the very near future.

A member of the British Legation in Sofia eaid that the British Minister, Mr. George Rendel. was seeing King Boris of Bulgaria this morning. It is believed that he will announce the breaking off of relations between Britain and Bulgaria.

The number of Germans now in Bulgaria is not known, but German officials in Sofia indicated that formal occupation was about to commence.

They added that the headquarters of the German General Staff would be at Chamkuria, 43 mil"s from Sofia, where villas, have been requisitioned.

The Germans said that eoucentratioin". of Gorman troops, i.i the capital would I>p avoided as far as possible, and that Sofia would l>e declare*! an open citv.

Troops Pour Into Bulgaria. The troops poured in across the Danube by aeroplane,' train, lorry and ear. Actually they must have begun before Bulgaria sigiied the Tripaititc Pact, because a few of them reached the heart of Sofia in mid-afternoon. At least 11 lorries, a number troop-laden, are reported to have passed through the capital in the evening.

Seventeen lorry-loads of troops in battledrc.-s are reported to have entered Varna. where, according to other reports, there was already a German mechanised division.

A blackout has been imposed in Sofia and additional anti-aircraft guns have been plfceed on the rooftops. The Bulgarians expressed fears that the Royal Air Force would immediately begin bombing the roaJ* and railways in order to halt the Gα mans.

It is officially denied in London that Britain sent an ultimatum to Bulgaria saying she would consider herself at war if Bulgaria failed to oppose the German march. A meeting of the Bulgarian Parliament scheduled for to-day was postponed until Tuesday. Military authorities said Bulgarian troops would help the German forcee. but, in view of possible demonstrations against the Germans, the police were armed with carbines. The frontier of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia has been temporarily closed. NAZI PLANE DOWN. YUGOSLAVIA VIOLATED. (Reed. 10 a.m.) LONDON 7 . Mar. 2. Nine German piano violated Yugoslav airspace yesterday. One. forced down, carried a full load of bombs. F.ight members of the crew were int&rned.