How Axis Will Loot Balkans

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 230, 28 September 1940, Page 7

How Axis Will Loot Balkans

REALITY BEHIND DISMEMBERMENT OF BALKANS (British Official Wireless.) Received Friday, 9.20 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 26. Economic experts in London who have now had time to subject to closer scrutiny the Vienna dictat by which Rumania lost 52,700 square kilometres to Hungary find its economic implications no less interesting than its political ones. By this transfer affected under Axis threats there come within the control of Hungary, which in turn is even more under Axis influence than the new Rumanian regime, territory yielding important supplies of commodities in which Germany and Italy are deficient. The twelve ceded provinces carry with them 15 per cent, of the output of meat of former Rumania, 7 per cent, of maize, 4 per cent, of oats, 20 per cent, of barley, 9 per cent, of horses, 19 per cent, of cows, 12 per cent, of sheep, 13 per cent, of pigs, together with 70,000 tons of malt yearly and certain amounts of gold, silver, lead and zinc. At the same time a quarter of the total forest land of Rumania has been handed to Hungary.

The Axis Powers have therefore succeeded in bringing within their grasp much valuable plunder while at the same time leaving a fine confusion of unsettled racial and other problems which are sure to cause renewed trouble in which Germany can interfere again to her advantage whenever it suits the Nazi policy. Under the Vienna dictat Rumania lost 2,883,000 of her former population but this includes only a million Hungarians compared with 1,266,000 Rumanians now transferred to Hungary. The remainder are made up of various races including 60,000 Germans who will doubtless be used to cause trouble in Hungary if that country shows independence of spirit. To add to the complications 490,000 Hungarians are still left within tho new Rumanian frontier.