Mounting Tension In Bulgaria

Northern Advocate, 13 December 1943, Page 3

Mounting Tension In Bulgaria

(Rec. 1.45 p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 12. While reports of mounting tension in Bulgaria continue to come in, the Bulgarian Minister for the Interior (Dr. Christoff) declared that the Allies are trying through air-raids and propaganda to weaken the morale of the Bulgarian people. According to Berlin radio Christoff said: “The enemy is mistaken, because he will cross the border of Bulgaria only over the bodies of 10,000,000 Bulgarians. The Bulgarian peasant loves the soil and is never defeated except when political leaders are not united. A united Bulgarian nation will present an obstacle which the enemy is unable to overcome.” Sofia radio states that the Premier' (Bojilov), in a speech at a public meeting in Sofia said: “Bulgarian foreign policy has the approval of 99 per cent, of Bulgarians. It is only aimed at the defence of Bulgaria’s legitimate rights, safeguarding unity and future independence.” Exaggerated Reports

The Ankara correspondent of the Associated Press reports that the Bulgarian Government crisis was accompanied by apparently greatly exaggerated reports of Bulgarian mobilisation. The best information is that some Bulgar reinforcements have moved to the Turkish frontier as a reaction against the conferences of President Inonu, President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill, but the Bulgars have carried out a similar manoeuvre several times since the outbreak.

Similar exaggerated reports are circulating regarding Turkish military preparations. The best evidence is that Turkey’s 750,000 army is not being heavily reinforced at the moment and there is no indication that Turkey is making any preparation for a winter campaign. However, an additional 1,250,000 trained Turkish reserves could be swiftly brought under arms. The correspondent concludes that “despite current feeling here that Turkey will not soon become belligerent, war clouds are definitely thickening over the Balkans.”