BULGARIAN TRAGEDY AWAITED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 6 February 1941, Page 5

BULGARIAN TRAGEDY AWAITED

POSITION IN BALKANS DETERIORATES Developments Watched Closely in London DANGER OF NEW THEATRE OF WAR [United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 6th February, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, sth February. Note has been taken in London of the repeated Bulgarian assertions of their desire to maintain their neutrality and independence. The sincerity of this desire is not doubted and it would obviously be against Bulgaria’s interests to allow herself to become a theatre of war. In London it is regarded as unthinkable that with the sad | example of Rumania before them all the patriotic and responsible {Bulgarians will not realise the danger and take steps to meet it. {The development of the whole of the Balkan situation is being carefully watched in London where the facts are well known. GERMAN MOVE CONSIDERED ALMOST CERTAIN (Received 6th February, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, sth FebruaVy. The Sofia correspondent of “The Times” says a German move through Bulgaria may now be considered almost certain. Bulgaria’s position has developed gradually from difficult and delicate to desperate and tragic. She is not expected to be able to retain her independence for more than a few weeks. Great diplomatic pressure is being exerted to induce her to sign the Three Power Pact, a draft of which Colonel Draganoff, Bulgarian Minister in Berlin, has delivered to Sofia. Since a German “proposal’’ means a demand, it is unlikely that Bulgaria will be able to. decline again or postpone her decision. It is reliably reported in Bucharest and also in the Bulgarian Danubian ports that German military preparations have reached their final phase. Hundreds of lorries are massed on the roads leading to Bulgaria. Observers on the Bulgarian side of the southern Danube have seen the Germans preparing barges and pontoons. German “technicians” are installed in almost all the large Bulgarian towns and also at strategic points in northern Bulgaria. “Tourists” who are flooding the leading Bulgarian cities will undoubtedly take over control the moment Germany launches her Balkan blitz.

The Bulgarian tragedy will begin when Turkey officially declares that the passing of foreign troops across Bulgaria will be dangerous to Turkish interests. The Turkish army may not wait till the Germans reach the Turk-ish-Bulgarian frontier. Thus Bulgaria may immediately become the centre of Balkan military operations which would certainly be ruinous to the country. The Bulgarian forces manning the Turkish-Bulgarian frontier may easily be dragged into the operations, and it is unlikely that any Bulgarian commander would agree not to oppose the Turks even if ordered to do so from Sofia.

This seems part of the German plan, because after clashes on the TurkishBulgarian frontier Sofia’s pro-German Government might seek German help against Turkish aggression. On the contrary, strong' opposition is developing among the moderates and Communists, both of whom are requesting the Government to sign a Russian-Bulgar-ian pact of military assistance, but the army, whose high officers are completely under German Influence, will not tolerate this, even were the Government willing.

M. Bagrianoff, the Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture, and a staunch proGerman, has resigned, it is believed as the result of a quarrel with the Premier, Professor Filoff, over the question of the passage of German troops. The resignation may lead to a serious crisis. The Ministry of Agriculture which Professor Filoff has taken over’ is second in importance to the Premiership. BALKAN PUZZLE GERMAN INTENTIONS LONDON, 29th January. Military experts in the European capitals and in London are trying to probe the mystery surrounding the presence of about 200,000 German troops in Rumania and the arrival of more every day. At present they are not inclined to brush aside the view held in Turkish political circles that the first German objective will be an attack on Salonika. The Istanbul correspondent of “The Times” says: “Upon one point Turkish opinion is certain—it is that Germany will not invade the Balkans to assist Italy in Albania. The Italian attack on Greece was outside the scope of the German war plans, and therefore does not interest Germany." The correspondent points out, however, that the defeat of Britain in the Mediterranean, on the other hand, is within the scope of the German war plans and, therefore, German aircraft have been sent to Italy. He says th,at the Germans will invade the Balkans only if such an invasion should be part of the war plans which the German general stair drew up years ago, and which have already involved the invasion of Denmark, Norway, Belgium and Holland, in spite of the neutrality of those countries. “Turkish opinion assumes,” he says, “that the objective of a German invasion of the Balkans would be, in the first place, Salonika. The German purpose in this would be to prevent the British from opening up a second front there.

“The German objective in the second phase of the invasion would be to reach the Straits, with the idea of ensuring against possible Soviet intervention in the. war on the side of Britain. Probably a preliminary measure would be the German occupation of Bulgaria, for which the Germans appear to have made preparations.

“It is pointed out that the reaffirmation that Rumania will march, without hesitation, on the sid2 of the ‘Great Fuhrer and *he has already been made by the Rumanian Chief of State, General Antonescu. in his statement on the new Cabinet."