PRESSURE ON SOVIET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24635, 17 June 1941, Page 5

PRESSURE ON SOVIET

THE GERMAN DEMANDS PROBABLY A SCREEN SIGNIFICANT MOVES (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 16. Relations between Britain and Russia, and Sir Stafford Cripps’s return to Moscow may have to be reconsidered if Stalin concedes Germany’s economic demands, says the Daily Express. These demands are reported to be so sweeping as to amount to military concessions, including huge supplies of oil and wheat under direct German supervision of production and transport.

Meanwhile, according to the Helsinki correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the Red Army is strongly opposing Stalin’s policy of appeasing Hitler. The Defence Commissar, M. Temoshenko, particularly, is urging resistance to the Nazi demands.

The diplomatic correspondent of The Times says the British Government does not believe Hitler is definitely planning to attack

Russia. His concentrations on the east, while apparently meant to put pressure on Moscow in the hope of securing political and economic gains by agreement, may also be intended as a screen for sudden military operations elsewhere.

Press despatches from Norway reveal extensive German military measures, including mine-laying along the Norwegian coast. Numerous Norwegian ships have been confiscated. The control of land traffic has also been strengthened,, while farms have been seized in southern and south-western Norway for air bases.,: German transports in the Gulf of Bothnia are also reported to be unloading troops and supplies for transit to Norway. ; Finally, there is one report in London that German invasion troops have been moved secretly across Belgium to

the north of France during the past month. The Daily Mail says Sir Stafford Cripps will not return to Moscoiv unless Mr Churchill urgently requests him to do so. Sir Stafford, it is understood, feels that his mission to Moscow was not a success, and he emphasised to the Government his desire to resume his seat in the House of Commons.

According to a later message the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that Sir Stafford Cripps will return to Moscow, but the date has not yet been fixed.

There is great excitement in Hungary and Rumania about the prospects of a German-Russian conflict, but Turkish political circles are sceptical, believing that the possibility of a conflict is very remote, says the Ankara correspondent of The Times. Germany considers Russia’s political and economic co-operation in the new European order essential, and is therefore exerting the strongest pressure to obtain Russia’s acquiescence. Stalin, it is said, is anxious to maintain peace, and will yield certain economic concessions.