THROUGH BALKANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 127, 25 November 1940, Page 7

THROUGH BALKANS

POSSIBLE GERMAN MOVE

BLOW TO ITALIAN PRESTIGE

LONDON COMMENT

LONDON, November 24.

A London commentator said it seemed that if Herr Hitler was to get himself out of the trouble in which he had landed himself, Signor Mussolini and the other partners in the "grand alliance," his real aim must be to get Yugoslav and Turkish acquiescence in a move by the German army to aid the demoralised and disorganised Italian army, although, as the Turkish radio stated, it would be a final and devastating blow at Italian prestige if Germany did move troops to her aid. Generally speaking, Herr Hitler could not let things get any worse in the Balkans, for the sake of sparing Italian feelings.

If German troops were to move they would have to go through Yugoslavia or Bulgaria. Neither of those countries wanted a Germany army passing through it, and the latest indications from Belgrade were that the Yugoslav army would try to stop the Germans. Yugoslavia knew what had happened in Rumania and Greece. What was more, she had a fairly shrewd suspicion that Hitler had been offering bits of their country to their neighbours. It had been made clear that Turkey would not remain inactive if the Germans went through Bulgaria.

As usual, when faced with resistance, Hitler has turned Dr. Goebbels loose, and it is reported today that the German Press and radio are fulminating against Turkey and Yugoslavia. Herr yon Papen is also at work, and has denied that he ever made a threat against Turkey which the Press of the world, including Turkish newspapers, accused him of making. The Turkish radio broadcast the denial without comment, including his admission that such a threat would be out of keeping with diplomatic usage.