SITUATION IN BALKANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1939, Page 8

SITUATION IN BALKANS

ITALIAN ECONOMIC RELATIONS. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] I 1 NEY' YORK, October 14. “The Times’s” Belgrade correspondent says: Those in well-informed circles believe that Italy will soon have more important economic relations with the Balkans. An Italian Trade Mission is expected in Belgrade to-day. Yugoslavia lies been reserved, recently, concerning the proposed Ital-.ian-I-lungarian-Yugoslav front, fearing that it might be a manoeuvre against the Balkan Entente. The Italian Minister, however, gave an assurance to Yugoslavia that Italy does not intend disturbing the Balkan Entente. Apparently Italy fears that Russia may turn on the Balkans, at. least diplomatically, thus drawing Yugoslavia closer to Italy. Simultaneously it is stated, without confirmation, that the Soviet is cool towards the proposed re-opening of Russian-Yugoslav diplomatic relations. GERMAN-YUG OSLAV TRADE. PARIS. October 14. The Paris radio reports that Yugoslavia. and Germany have signed a new trade agreement, under which the volume of trade will be 40 per cent, lower than hitherto.

OIL FROM ROUMANIA. GERMAN TRANSPORT PROBLEMS NEW YORK, October 14. “The Times’s” Bucharest correspondent says: Physical difficulties in Danubian transport are likely to slow up Roumanian shipments of oil and grain to Germany. Before the war 2G per cent, of the oil exports were transported by the Danube and four per cent, by railway, but the Danube route is difficult, firstly because there are few Roumanian tankers, and secondly, the river will be frozen for 130 days from an early date. The railways are not. prepared nor equipped for the increased oil transport, they having only 8000 tanker trucks, with a, total capacity of 109,000 tons. They mostly have been used for the interior. It is believed that the next six months will show diminishing oil exports to Germany.