NEW MOVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 9

NEW MOVES

BLACK SEA AREA TURKISH DEFENCES STALIN'S PRECAUTION ITALY AND HUNGARY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rrceived April 1, 1.5 a.m.) LONDON. March 31 The French Commander-in-Chief in Syria, General Weygand, unexpectedly arrived jin Paris and conferred with the War Cabinet. The French Admiral Mouren has arrived in Istanbul Lo organise defences at Turkey's Black Sea ports. • The spotlight of world diplomacy rests upon the Black Sea. Mr. Churchill's forecast of intensification of the war is interpreted to mean: —(1) A decisive tightening-up of the blockade, and (2) an AngloFrench diplomatic counter offensive in the Balkans. A Bulgarian deputy, M. Stainoff, told the newspaper Slovo that Turkey "let herself be forced to yield to British pressure to permit the passage of warships through the Straits." He added: "The war will be decided in the Black Sea. Germany cannot continue without the Black Sea oil supply." Georgian Government Exiled A message from Geneva sav's the exiled Georgian Government, in a communique, says it is learned from Batum that Stalin ousted the Soviet Government of Georgia and installed a military Governor. The exiled Government's representative, M. Chavichvile, said the news that Allied armies were assembling in Syria and Palestine had increased resistance to the Soviet in Trans-Caucasia and among the TransCaucasian republics, and the Kremlin had therefore forced the entire Georgian Soviet to resign and bad sent a heavy force of military police to support the new Governor. Guarantee to Hungary In Budapest, it is authoritatively stated that the Hungarian Prime Minister, Count Teleki, who returns to-day from Rome, obtained a guarantee of Hungary's independence from Signor Mussolini and an assurance that Italy is not taking part in any plan to divide South-eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Count Teleki is reported to have promised that Hungary will not press her claims against Rumania until after the war, when she will receive Italian support.

PASS BLACK SEA TURKEY'S PERMISSION ALLIES' BLOCKADE BUCHAREST, March 29 Simultaneously with the delivery of M. Molotoff's speech the Rumanian newspaper Lc Moment announced that Turkey had given permission to Allied warships to pass to the Black Sea and use Si nope, Nainrun and Trebizond. The paper added: "The Allies contemplate stopping regular shipments of oil and manganese to Germany from Batum via Varna, necessitating the control of Russian ships." VIGILANT NAVY REVERSES FOR ENEMY SUBMARINES' ACTiVITY SINKINGS AND RESCUES (Received March 31. fi.s p.m.) LONDON. March 30 Tt is officially disclosed that the British submarine Ursula, which torpedoed and sunk n 6000-ton cruiser of the Koln class in the mouth of the River Elbe on 'December 14, also sank the Nazi steamer Hedderheim last Saturday. Captain Phillips still commands the Ursula and was in charge during her action against the Hedderheim. The submarine Truant stopped the Edmund Hugo Stinnes IV., which was scuttled on Sunday. The Truant rescued the crew and then torpedoed the Stinnes to prevent salvage. It brought the captain to England. The submarine Unity rescued members of the crew of the Dutch trawler Protinus, which was sunk in the North Sea by a bomber. The seamen had been in the boats for six days.