BULGARIA CALLS UP ARMED FORCES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 294, 11 December 1943, Page 5

BULGARIA CALLS UP ARMED FORCES

AXIS BREAK LOOMING

Red Army Officers Arrive

At Sofia

N.Z. Press Association —Copyright Rec. 10.30 am. LONDON, Dec. 10

Bulgaria last night ordered general mobilisation of her armed forces, stated Budapest radio. The decision is believed to be a prelude to a break with Germany.

Mobilisation was ordered soon after a mission of Red Army officeis and the new Soviet Military Attache had arrived at Sofia. . . It is to be noted that Bulgaria is at war with Britain and America, but not with Russia. The British United Press correspondent in Stockholm quotes unconfirmed reports from the Balkans saying that incidents have occurred on the Turkish-Bulgarian frontier. Bom sides are stated to have suffered a number of casualties. r^vmnnv Other reports state that Germany has warned Bulgaria that if Bulgaria changes her course witnoui consulting Berlin this will be con sidered an unfriendly step, resulting in counter-measures. 7 _ OT .pv, Budapest radio stated that ZagieD, the capital of Croatia, is being blacked out from to-night. t<3 According to Swedish reports British planes dropped leaflets on Bucharest, capital of Rumania warn ing the people that heavy raids weie imminent. American planes, it is reported, dropped a similar warning over Bulgaria.

Foreign Minister Resigns The Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kirov, has resigned, f ° l . lo .y* n 'fe ul . stormy secret session of tne dl garian Parliament, in which the Gov Irnment's foreign policy was farpg criticised, says the Sven^t r , t bladet's Budapest correspondent The Opposition Leader, Mashanov, said that if the Government wa& unable to prevent the Germans tiom using Bulgaria as .a o ""Utary °a which would inevitably lesuu Bulgaria becoming a battlefield then the Government must lepiac by one better able to safeguard tne country's interests. ronfidOne report says that a ence motion was carried. o . tnei So fl a ports say that the police in Sona

scattered a street procession, which shouted: "Bulgaria must withdraw from the war." Many arrests were made.

The Hungarians and Germans cannot agree about what is happening in Bulgaria: Early yesterday, Hungary said the Bulgarian Par lament met in secret session on Wednesday night, and that immediately afterward a Cabinet meeting was held. The Germans said there was no secret session. Berlin said .the Bulgarian Ministers met to discuss routine, matters severa Minilters and political leadins within the past 24 hours. Bulgaria herself is keeping quiet about what is going on inside her frontiers.