Nazi Troops Concentrated On Baltic Coast

Northern Advocate, 25 January 1940, Page 5

Nazi Troops Concentrated On Baltic Coast

Moves With Russia In Balkans

(Received 9.30 a.m.)

LONDON, January 24. TT IS REVEALED THAT THE GERMANS HAVE MASSED LARGE TROOP CONCENTRATIONS ON THE BALTIC COAST, IN ADDITION TO THE RUMANIAN FRONTIER, AND THE GERMAN WEST FRONTIER FROM COBLENZ TO THE NORTH SEA, SAYS A MESSAGE FROM PARIS. The German forces on the Baltic Coast between Kiel and Stettin are clearly directed against Scandinavia. They are carrying out embarking and disembarking exercises at Warnemunde and Sassnitz, which are stations for the ferry services to Sweden and Denmark, 'The concentrations are particularly large east of the Kiel and coincide with the calling up of sailors there. .These are also intensively training in embarkation.

> Threat to Rumania. The concentrations on the frontier between Rumania and Galicia (Southern Poland) are far larger than would be necessary for guarding the railway. The threat to Rumania is the more serious in view of strong Russian troop concentrations along the River Dniester to the Black Sea. In the last fortnight six trainloads of Russian troops have left Lwow each night for Podwoloezyska, on the old Russian border, says the Bucharest correspondent of “The Times.” It is reported from Galicia that trainloads of German troops left Lwow for Podwoloczyska every three dgys between January 3 and January 20, in addition to the Russian trainloads. Podwoloczyska is on the railway to Odessa, Russia’s Black Sea port. Joint Action in Balkans. Germany has concentrated a dozen divisions between Cracow and Morav-ska-Ostrava. The Russians and the Germans are busy denying Russian concessions to Germany in Galicia and the establishment of German troops on the Rumanian border. However, opinion throughout the Balkans lias hardened that either Russia and Germany are preparing joint action in the Balkans, or Russia has given Germany a free hand in the Balkans, in exchange for goodwill in the Baltic.

It was reported from Yugoslavia that Italy would not oppose a German move against Rumania, provided her own interests in Hungary and Yugoslavia were not touthed. Allies’ Warning. The British and Fr.ench envoys have warned Rumania that the Allies will not tolerate sales to Germany from English and French oil companies. A message from Cernauti, Rumania, states that Germany's chief road engineer (Dr. Fritz Todt), who was associated with the - construction of the Siegfried Line, has gone to Moscow from Lwow with a party of German engineers. Telephone calls from Russia to places abroad have been prohibited.