ROUMANIANS ANXIETY

Grey River Argus, 19 March 1940, Page 7

ROUMANIANS ANXIETY

Now Easier SAYS PRIME MINISTER. (Received March 18. 7.30 p.m.) BUCHAREST. March 18. M. Tatarescu, in a broadcast speech, said: “We want peace, but a peace respecting our rights. Therefore, we are watchful. I do not know what to-morrow may bring, but. I believe that our cares to-day are less than our cares of yesterday, ine strengthening of our army and our defences must be our main preoccuV He appealed for national unity and increased production. He added tha the output of the mines and oilfields of Roumania must be increased to the maximum. All of the companies would be asked to provide surplus production. Iron Guard Revival GERMANY’S INFLUENCE. LONDON, March 17. Well-informed quarters in London confirm that Nazi agents are active in South-eastern Europe with the object of securing political influence in Roumania and economic concessions elsewhere, but it is evident that much of the propaganda is emanating from a German whispering campaign, which is well-organised if not wellfounded. The Bucharest correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the Iron Guard, the outlawed Nazi organisa-; tion, has been revived. A communi- ]

que announced that the Prime Minister (M. Tatarescu) has received a delegation of members of the guard who declared their allegiance to King Carol. , , Members of the Guard who were in refuge in Germany and other countries are streaming to Roumama and are all included in an amnesty, those expelled from public service being re-I instated with honour. Damages and, pensions will be paid to the widows I of executed members of the Guard, including the murderers of the former Prime Minister (Mr. Cahnescu), only six months ago. Their remains] will be exhumed for ceremonial burial in consecrated ground. Their rehabilitation is interpreted as the inauguration of a new regime of internal disturbances, bombings, and assassination as an alternative to submission to German political and commercial encroachment. The official news agency says that the rehabilitation of the Iron Guard is a measure for internal appeasement and not a political compromise, and that it will not affect Roumama s domestic or foreign policy. An Iron Guard manifesto uses the phrase: ‘‘The Guard will continue as in the past to make personal sacrifices to conquer the enemy within and without.” The Government, which stoutly denied that months of negotiations were proceeding with members of the Guard, now declares that the Guard submitted to' the Government, but there is no question of a member ot the Guard joining Cabinet or of M. Gafencu resigning. Germany is reported to have offered Roumania frontier guarantees from Russia and Hungary on the following terms: Roumanian demobilisation, the installation of German experts in Roumanian industry and agriculture, virtual monopoly of Roumanian oil and cereals exports, and the appointment of a member of the Guard to Cabinet. . Official circles told the Associated Press of England that King Carol and Cabinet had considered the offer but King Carol was adamant in his’ refusal of the offer, principally because of the demand for a member of the Guard as member of Cabinet.

BRITISH COMMENT. RUGBY. March 17. The tendency to draw conclusions from the amnesty granted- by the Roumanian Government to former members of the Iron Guard, which is not warranted either by the nature of the measure itself, or by what has been known for a considerable time of the external policy of the 1 Roumanian Government, is deprecated in London. The amnesty is seen as a step designed to secure internal pacification and the fullest realisation of the strength and unity of the country, because of the anxieties which no ’ country within reach of Nazi threats can be sure may not lie ahead and there is not the slightest disposition to question the sincerity of the assurance which the Roumanian Government has judged it appropriate to give, namely, that the amnesty implies no change in Roumanian foreign policy. ALLIED INTENTIONS. IN THE EAST. LONDON, March 17. London commentators discount reports from Bucharest that the Allies have completed plans to advance against Russia with the help of Turkish and Roumanian troops, declaring that, at most the reports are an effort to discover what the Allies plans really are. ALLIED INACTIVITY' 1 ON THE WEST. / RUGBY, March 17. Lord Sarrtuel, speqking yesterday, said that the questibn was sometimes heard why there had been no Allied attack on the Western Front. It was well to remember that a battering ram received as hard blows as it gave. The Allies held the initiative, which could be used in more than one theatre, and meantime, the economic pressure on Germany continued, with relentlessly cumulative effect.