GERMANY AND RUSSIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 February 1940, Page 8

GERMANY AND RUSSIA

' . / -c, COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT ' fl MILITARY AND ECONOMIC , [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] I LONDON, February 12. The agreement between Russia and Germany for military and economic co-operation in the Ukraine, Caucasus, and'. Black ' Sea. is demonstrated by authetticated reports from Black Sea ■’ ports' ' and Poland that German engineers are erecting fortifications- at Odessa, Mariupol, and Novorossisk, in the Ukraine, and at Batum and iri. the Caucasus. . Fresh fortifications are also being constructed, oh the Russian-Rouman-ian frontier across the Dneister, evidently to protect the Baku-Kiev railway, along- which, war materials for the Finnish campaign and oil, manganese, and copper for Germany _ are being transported. These fortifications -will also protect the OdessaLwow railway, along which oil will be carried to Germany. German troops are stationed along the line to prevent sabotage. The departure of 2000 other German troops from Poland to the Caucasus suggests that similar precautions are beirig taken on the Baku-Kiev railway. Germany is doing her utmost to reorganise shipping in the Black Sea. She is. establishing a new organisation at Odessa to facilitate the transport of wheat from Novorassisk to Odessa, where she has been accumulating considerable stocks for months. Shipping services are also planned to link up Poti 'and Braila for the transport of chrome, and Braila, Trebizoncl, and Batum for the carriage of hazel nuts, cotton, and oil. German engineers have arrived at Varna, in Bulgaria, to construct a vast oil reserve container from which supplies will be shipped to Batum, and then railed through the Balkans to Germany. The Bucharest correspondent of “The Times” says Germany is reported to be applying pressure on the Roumanian Government to centralise the marketing of eggs, hitherto left in the hands of private exporters who are unwilling to sell to her.

RUSSIAN FLEET/ (Recd. February 13, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 12: “The Times’s” Moscow correspondent states: Admiral Okiabrsky, Com-mand'er-in-Chief of the Black Sea Fiet, revealed that the fleet is already in fighting trim. The surface and submarine fleets have been doubled, the anti-aircraft and coastal defences increased. The fleet is now capable of protecting the rich oilfields in the Baku region, which provide more than half the Soviet oil. TRADE AGREEMENT. (Recd. February 13, 10 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press of America states that Germany and Russia have concluded a new and extensive trade agreement, and an official announcement is immipi ent. SPRING MANOEUVRES. (Received February 13, 11.30 a.m.) BUDAPEST, February 12. A number of countries are preparing for the Spring manoeuvres. So far there is no general mobilisation in this part of Europe. ITALIAN PRECAUTIONS. (Recd. February 13, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 12. The American Press Belgrade correspondent states: Italy is hurriedly fortifying her German-Yugoslav frontiers, the Udine Province, also the Brenner Pass zone.' Large sums allocated to public works in January have been secretly diverted to the Brenner pill-boxes, on which the work has been continuous for the last four months.

ANGLO-TURKISH TREATY. RUGBY, February 12. The text of the. agreement respecting trade and payments between Britain and Turkey has been published. Although abrogating previous agreements between Britain and Turkey, the present agreement has the effect of incorporating them, so far as the liquidation of transactions already commenced under them. From February 19, the date upon which the agreement comes into force, mutual exports will become the subject of compensation transactions, in which may be incorporated produce up to 25 per cent, of the total sum received by the British and Turkish clearing office, exported to Turkey from such territories, other than the United Kingdom, as may be agreed between the parties. Goods exported by either country to the .other must be accompanied by a certification of origin issued by the Government-au-thorised body, and the f.o.b. value of compensation goods exported to Turkey must not exceed 80 per cent, of the f.o.b. value of goods exported from Turkey. Debts due from persons in Turkey to persons in the United Kingdom, in respect of compensation transactions, will be deposited in Turkish pounds in a special account at the Control Bank of the Republic of Turkey, and debts due from persons in the United Kingdom to persons in Turkey, under reverse transactions, will be deposited in sterling at the Bank of England for the account'of the Controller of the Anglo-Turkish clearing office. The arrangements made for regulating the computation of exchange notes, where payment, is other than Turkish or pounds sterling, provide that the London selling rates of currency on the date of payment shall be the ruling price.

GERMAN TRICK FOILED. —■ ■ (Recd. February 13, 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 12. “The Times’s” Belgrade correspondent says: The seizure of Krupp’s yard prevented a German attempt to steal a. Turkish submarine. Two submarines were already launched. One was nearly ready, when 20 extra specialists arrived from Germany, ostensibly for the trials. The Turks became suspicious, when the specialists suggested, ih view of the danger in the first trials, there should be. ah entirely, German crew. . Sus-, picion was increased when stores far,

in excess of those needed for a trial were demanded. The authorities informed the Government, which ordered the occupation of the yards.