PETROL SUPPLIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 211, 5 August 1940, Page 5

PETROL SUPPLIES.

RUSSIA STEALS A MARCH. LONDON, July 11. The Swiss newspapers, Democratc (Delemont) and Neuchatelois discuss the possibility of ' Germany taking Northern Bukovina (former Rumanian territory 'occupied by Russia) from Russia in order to secure *pctrol supplies. Well-informed industrial circles m Zurich insist that Northern Bukovina is the key to the position, both economically and militarily. They declare that Rumania’s Rloesti oilfields, from which Germany has drawn most of her petrol supplies, are nearly exhausted, and that the new wells*discovered last year at Storojinetz and Dorchoi. in the Bukovina, were the reason for the Russian occupation. It is pointed out that the Finnish campaign convinced Russia of the grave drawback of being dependent on other countries for aviation petrol. These circles at Zurich argue that hostilities between Russia and Germany are a definite possibility, ns at present Russia controls seven-tenths of Rumania’s oil output, and if she obtains further territory, besides control of Rumania’s ports, Germany would be completely fut off. This, they contend, would make Germany fight. The Swiss newspapers mentioned even discuss possible German tactics, and declare that Germany might he victorious provided that the campaign began earlv in August and ended be : fore the winter. They point out, however, that Germany would hesitate to engage in war on two fronts, and that, even if Britain were defeated before tbe end of September, Germany could not expect to make good her inevitable losses in aeroplanes and munitions sufficiently soon to challenge Russia in time.