NAZI EFFORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23616, 28 March 1940, Page 12

NAZI EFFORTS

SOUTH-EAST EUROPE RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA HOPES CONCERNING ITALY LONDON, March 20 With peace concluded between Russia and Finland, attention is being focused again 011 Southeastern Europe—especially Rumania — and (lie Near East. News of the rehabilitation of the violently Fascist and anti-Semitic J101) Guard of Rumania, which was the.most useful tool in Germany's hands until King Carol destroyed it, caused a sensation al the week-end. Attention is also concentrated on Rome, where Germany is making efforts to bring Italy into line with the BerlinMoscow axis. Russo-Finnish Peace Overwhelming optimism characterises the political, atmosphere in Berlin, following the Russo-Finnish peace, according to the Rotterdam correspondent of the Times. "Germany regards the peace as proof of her influence," he says, "or rather, that her power of inspiring terror is more effective in Sweden and Norway than Allied influence. "Germany is now confident that she can easily dominate the south-eastern political arena. The object is to make her position secure against an Allied flank attack in this quarter, thus freeing herself to concentrate all her forces for a blow in the West. "Germany's attention yill be at first directed toward Rumania and Turkey, with the immediate purpose of improving their relations with Russia, and getting them to agree to sign nonaggression pacts with Russia, thus preventing them 'front lending their territory as bases for an Allied invasion of Russia. The Xazis express the opinion that such an invasion is intended by the British and French armies in Syria, Palestine and Egypt. . Italy Anti-Communist

"Simultaneously, Germany hopes to induce Italy to adopt a positive attitude for war, coming into line with Russia and Germany, and creating one axis from Rome to Moscow, with Berlin as the medial point. It will be necessary first to overcome Italy's antiCommunist prejudices. Already, the first step to this end has apparently been taken, inasmuch as a commercial treaty between Italy and Russia is being discussed. "ft is a more difficult proposition to convince Italy that Russia is not harbouring ambitions in the Balkans, the correspondent, adds. "There are rumours that the Russians wish to salve their prestige —wjiich the Finnish campaign badly damaged—by conducting a successful lorward polic\ to the south. Italy's co-operation will certainly hi; necessary if Germany hopes to put effective pressure on Turkey. Agreement between Russia, Germany and Italy on their future Balkans policy is, therefore, essential. "Nazi propaganda is .drawing wide attention to the agreement for the supply of German coal to Italy as proof- of the strength of the RomeBerlin axis. Germany aims at transporting to Italy 1500 trucks of coal a day from the Silesian coalfields. 1 his would mean running trains with almost the same frequency as trams in a big city's streets. If Germany achieves anything like this programme, it "ill inevitably increase the privations of her own people." *