BALKAN STATES

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1943, Page 5

BALKAN STATES

ANXIETY INCREASED By Prospect of Allied Attack TURKEY TO PERSUADE BULGARIA.

lA;ist. f- N.Z. Press Assn.l (Rec. 8.55) NEW YORK, Dec. 13. The “New York Times” Ankara correspondent says: “A high-rank-ing well-informed person told me Hungary, Rumania 1 , and Bulgaria were searching frantically for a way to quit the Axis.” The correspondent added: “The Hungarians’ pro-British sentiments are unchanged. They claim that their alliance with Germany, was due to force majeure. They would -unhesitantingly surrender to Britain and America, if this were possible, while Rumania is so terrified at Soviet victories that she would welcome British-American occupation. Bulgaria’s position is different, as the Bulgarian Government is made up of Nazi puppets, while the army is strongly pro-Russian. Indeed the general opinion is that the troops would mutiny if ordered to fight against Russia. If the war were confined to land battles, the Bulgarians would insist on defending their country against any Power except Russia, but, as the recent Allied bombings gave Sofia a taste of war from the air, the population is now?- clamouring for peace at any price. However, in view of the presence of the Gestapo, peace is not likely to result from such clamouring. The “New York Times” Cairo correspondent, quoting a report from a reliable source, says: “The Turkish Government has undertaken to persuade Bulgaria to quit the Axis, and to sue for peace. This was a pledge made to the Allies at the conference of Messrs Roosevelt ana Churchill with President Inonu. at which President Inonu specifically stated: “This can be Turkey’s initial big contribution to speeding up an Allied victory.” The “New York Times” correspondent points out: A break by Bulgaria from the Axis would open up the entire Balkan Peninsula as far as the Danube, and would accomplish the immediate liberation of Greece. It is understood Hitler has already warned the Bulgarians that any peace move would be followed by swift retribution. He reminded them that the Italians are suffering as the result of their collapse.

Nevertheless, from the Allies’ viewpoint, even should Bulgaria sue for peace, and be occupied by the Germans, this would further drain Hitler’s shrinking reserves, and also would precipitate an early Turkish entry into the war. LONDON, Dec. 13.

Press messages from Ankara stated the Germans were desperately trying to increase their grip on Bulgaria and prepare the country’s defences to resist an Allied invasion, demanding greater military measures and explicit assurances of loyalty from the Bulgarian Government. Riots and disturbances were spreading because of the Government’s continued collaboration with Germany. It was believed the Bulgarian Army, was demanding from the Germans that it ■be not drawn into war against the Russians. 1 The Associated Press Ankara correspondent reports that within the last two weeks Bulgarian troops refused to fight against Yugoslav partisans. Partisans said that a whole company -of Bulgarian troops came over to their side. The £airo radio said a new climax had occurred in Bulgaria’s crisis, frequent conferences having been held in the past few days. Present events resembled the period before the Bulgarian break-up in 1918. Anti-Ger-man feeling was becoming more apparent. . , „ The radio at Brazzaville, French Africa, said the Germans are feverishly building new aerodromes and imbroving communication lines m Bulgaria.