IN ROUMANIA

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1940, Page 5

IN ROUMANIA

A BROADCAST

VIEWS OF PRIME MINISTER,

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

BUCHAREST, March 18

M. Tatareseu, in a broadcast speech, said.-; “We want peace, but a peace respecting our rights. Thereto:q, ,we are watchful! 1 do not kno\y wha,t tomorrow may,bring,.b ( i)t,,l,,beiie l ye that our. carog, to-day , are .less ....tfian .our cares bf.ypp'tcrday. The strengthening of our army and opr. defences must bo our main preoccupation.” He appealed for national unity and increased production. He added that the output of the mines and oilfields of Roumania must be increased to the maximum. All of the. companies would he asked to provide surplus production.

IRON GUARD REVIVAL. 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 organisation, has been revived. An Iron. Guard manifesto uses tho phase: “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 queston of a member of 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 Ronmania. 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 fn his refusal to the offer, principally because of the demand for a member of the Guard as member of Cabinet.

BRITISH COMMENT. _ 5 RUGBY, March 17. The tendency to draw conclusions :ipm the amnesty granted by the Roumanian Government to former members of the Iron Guard, which is hot warranted either by the nature jf the measure itself, or by what has ;een known for a considerable time jf the external policy of the 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 bf 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 appropropriate to give, namely, that the amnesty applies no change in Itouman:an foreign policy. London commentators discount reports from Bucharest that the Allies have completed plans to advance, against Russian 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.