BULGARIA’S PLIGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 7

BULGARIA’S PLIGHT

DESPERATE AND TRAGIC GERMAN MOVE CERTAIN MILITARY PREPARATIONS (United Press Association) ‘ (Bt Teucraph—Copyrtgiit) LONDON, Feb. 5. 5, aVii.3o.p.j[h.) Sofia correspondent ofTlio Times says , that ai German move through Bulgaria may ,'now. be considered almost certain. Bulgaria's position-has doroklpad from a difottlt and on® ; to ;dnpwste and She is not expected to be able : to ... ' , retain her independence for more., than a few weeks. Great diplomatic pressure is being averted to' induce her to sign the three-Power pact, a draft of which Colonel DragaUoff, the Mlmmler in Berlin, delivered to Sofia/. Since the. German ( M proposal ” means a. ! demand it itunlikely that Bulgaria will he able v again to decline of postpone its decision. : ' :j It is peliably reported in Bucharest and inßulgarian Danubian - p6rta thAt-C*erman military preparations have reached the final -phase Hundreds of lorries are massed on the road leading to Bui-, 'garlfl. . Observers on the Bulgarian side of the southern Danube 'have seed the Germans preparing barges and pphtooris. German “ technicians ” are installed in almost all the large Bulgarian towns : iand at strategic points; in northern Bulgaria. /‘Tourists,” who, are '■-{j flooding the leading Bulgarian cities, will undoubtedly- take, over control the .moment Germany launches a Balkan blitz.. ~ V tURKEY*S PROBABLE ATTITUDE tragedy will -begin when Turkey officially deVcltres.that the passing of foreign troops across Bulgaria will be dangerous tO Turkish interest. The Turkish Army may not wait imtil the Germans.reach the Turkish-Bulgarian frontier, thus Bulgaria may immediately become, the centre of a Balkan military vbperatioii vriiich wili certainly be ruinous to the country. Bulgarian - forces maiming the Turkish-Bulgariah frontier may easily be dragged ihito' the Operations and it is unlikely that any Bulgarian commander : would agree riot to oppose the Turks, even. if ordered 1 to do so from because after clashes oii the Turkish-Bulgariah frontier Sofia’s pro-German Government riught.seek German 1 help- against Turkish aggression. ; hs tteieoitifrj, strong opposition fa developlpg among the moderates and the Communists, both of whom are v requesting the Gonnunent to sign a Rasaian-Bqlgarian pact of riUliitry assistance, hot the army, whose high officers are N ’ completely under German influence, would not tolerate this, - even were Ihe Gotemment willing.

• r M. Bagrianoff, the; Bulgarian Minister .of Agriculture and a 11 be the result over, the question Of- a passage for German The resignation may lead to a serious crisis as the Ministry of Agriculture, which Professor Filqff has taken, over, is second iri importance to the Premiership., : , .