SOVIET AND RUMANIAN TROOP MOVEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 137, 6 March 1941, Page 7

SOVIET AND RUMANIAN TROOP MOVEMENTS

Conflicting Views On Policy Of T urkey LONDON, March 5. Britain this morning broke off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria, it was officially announced in London today. The Minister to Sofia, Mr. Rendel, at 8.30 a.m. presented to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Professor Filoff, a Note announcing this decision. It is stated in London that Mr. Rendel will leave Bulgaria within two or three days and may go for the time being to Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish Government will today consider a reply to the message sent yesterday by Herr Hitler. Neither Berlin nor Ankara states the contents of the message. In a message to Turkey the Emir of Transjordania said that if Turkey is attacked the “whole Arab world will rush to her aid.” Concurrently with assertions by the Axis that there are no German troops on the Turkish frontier, the German aeroplane which was reported en route to Ankara arrived yesterday carrying a delegation with a "message of friendship” from the Fuehrer to President Inonu. The German Ambassador, Herr von Papen, took the delegation to the President at noon. They talked with him and the Foreign Minister, M. Saracoglu, for half an hour, and the Cabinet and the Chief of Staff, Marshal Chakmak, met at 2 p.m. and continued a discussion till nightfall. President Inonu, according to the Ankara radio', asked Papen to thank Hitler for his act of courtesy.

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.)

Received March 5, 9.40 p.m. LONDON, March 4. Russia has reinforced her troops on the frontier of Rumania, where Rumanian mobilization is proceeding swiftly under the direction of German staff officers, says the Sofia correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain. Lines of German motorized units some 50 miles long continue to pour southward through the three main passes in the Balkan mountains. The Soviet has ordered a blackout at Odessa, -Kishinev and Czernowitz. More motorized units of the Red Army have moved up to the frontier from Kiev. According to a Budapest message, Yugoslavia is calling up reserves and concentrating troops at strategic points. It is reported from Bucharest that Rumania will have a million men under arms by March 15. The Government today requisitioned 17 river tugs and 36 flat-bottomed vessels belonging to Greece.

There are now no illusions in Turkey regarding Bulgaria’s treachery, says the Ankara correspondent of “The Times.” Bulgaria has voluntarily admitted German troops to prepare its territory as a base for military operations against Greece and, in turn, Turkey. This happened three hours after the Bulgarian Minister in Ankara gave the Turkish Government to understand that Bulgaria was signing the Tripartite Pact to avoid German occupation.

American diplomats are not' optimistic regarding the Balkans situation. They believe Germany has manoeuvred Yugoslavia into a position where resistance will be hopeless, and furthermore that it is doubtful whether Turkey will fight unless Stalin deserts the Russian-German agreement. Observers point out that no news has been received of the new British-Turkish agreement after Mr. Eden’s visit to Ankara. The general conclusion in London is that it would be futile to pretend that the Soviet Note to Bulgaria means any change in the Russian policy. The Turks interpret Russia’s most recent declarations as meaning that she is not disposed to go to war for her Balkan interests till Germany is seriously weakened, for which reason it is felt that should Turkey resist strongly Russia would riot be displeased.

The Yugoslav Press gave prominence to the Russian Note, which it regarded as a Russian guarantee to Turkey that she would not stab Turkey in the back if they moved against the Germans.