ITALIANS ON GREEK FRONTIER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23748, 30 August 1940, Page 9

ITALIANS ON GREEK FRONTIER

HUNGARY AND RUMANIA , MINISTERS SUMMONED TO VIENNA By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, August 28 The Athens correspondent of the Times says that further concentrations of Italian troops were observed along the GreeceAlbanian border. This can be regarded as official, in spite of denials from Rome. The number of Italian troops in the allegedly demilitarised zone is estimated to be at least 110,000. The total force in Albania cannot be less than 150,000. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Count Csaky, and the Rumanian Foreign Minister, M. Manoilescu, were summoned to Vienna to meet the German and Italian Foreign Ministers,. Ribbentrop and Ciano, on Thursday. The meeting will deal with Hungary's territorial jgjaims in Transylvania. Ciano arrived at Salzburg, says a message from Berlin, and had lunch with Hitler and Ribbentrop. Signor Alfieri, a member of the Italian Cabinet, and General Keitel, chief of the German High Command, were also present. Ciano and Ribbentrop then went to Vienna. Hungary's Adherence to Axis Policy The Budapest correspondent of the Times says the talks at Vienna are announced without any comment in the Hungarian press, but official circles in Hungary reiterate their adherence to the Axis policy and the closeness of their common aims. The general feeling of optimism in Hungary is again ascendant. There cannot be any doubt that agreement will be reached, as German prestige could not permit another deadlock between the two countries, particularly as the talks are occuring in Germany. A communique from Bucharest says a Hungarian aeroplane bombed and machine-gunned the Transylvanian airport of Satumare. Rumanian anti-aircraft guns shot down the aeroplane. It is also reported that diplomats have been informed that Hungarian aeroplanes bombed Arad. ' V " British Efforts to Extend War " The Giornale d'ltalia says the problem of the relations between Hungary and Rumania is delicate and complicated, more so because in this zone forces o£ disorder, motivated by the British, are still active, tending to extend the war against the wishes of Italy and Germany. The Italian news agency says political circles in Rome state that Germany and Italy cannot remain disinterested in relations between Hungary and Rumania, nor can the Axis remain passive to possible exploitation of the situation by the enemy. It adds that Italy and Germany have been forced to continue by arms revision of treaties which they wanted to realise peaceably. They now wish to see revision of-the Versailles injustices completed in the Danubian region. The British United Press correspondent at Bucharest says the Russo-Rumanian commission is reported to have settled the Bessarabian dispute. *