THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, September 19, 1941. BULGARIA’S ROLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24716, 19 September 1941, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES Friday, September 19, 1941. BULGARIA’S ROLE

The part to be played by Bulgaria in the development of Nazi strategy along the Black Sea littoral has yet to be revealed. On June 24 it was announced that Bulgaria, at Germany’s request, had agreed to take •over the representation of German interests in Moscow, and it was generally assumed that the policy of the Government at Sofia was to stay out of the Russian-German coriflict. The signs are not now pointing in the direction of strict Bulgarian neutrality. Bulgaria, indeed, has always been opportunistic in her foreign policy. Before the war, while Rumania, Jugoslavia, Greece and Turkey contrived to maintain generally friendly relations, Bulgaria kept alive territorial claims against all her neighbours. She sought the Dobruja from Rumania, Macedonia from Jugoslavia and Greece, and an outlet to the /Egean (Salonika) also from Greece. She has obtained partial satisfaction of these demands since electing to march with the Axis, and it is probable that even now King Boris believes that a more open policy of collaboration with Germany may win for his country still greateradvantages. The evidence, where Russia and Turkey are concerned, is that Bulgaria is playing a dangerous, game. The reply made to the Russian Note, denying 'that the country has already become a German and Italian base for hostilities against the Soviet Union, is altogether too naive in its terms. The Government expresses surprise at the mere suggestion of such a thing, and adds that it knows nothing whatever of provocative action against Russia on Bulgarian soil. If, however, Germany plans to launch a large-scale offensive along the whole sector from Kiev to the Black Sea while simultaneously attacking the Crimea by land, sea and air, Bulgarian participation, to the extent at least of placing facilities at the disposal of the attackers, is certain to be relied upon by Herr Hitler. The German plan must still be to reach the Caucasus before the wdnter. The original intention, thwarted by the stubborn Russian resistance, was for the Nazi divisions to be in occupation of the Russian oil fields by mid-September. The threat of a new drive emphasises the peril ip which Turkey stands, now that German influence has been brought under control in Iran and British forces are in the way of being able to give aid to Russia if the Caucasian area is imperilled. Both Turkey and Russia are obviously well aware of the menace of active Bulgarian participation in any two-way Axis offensive that may be in preparation—towards the Crimea and through Turkey in an effort to redeem the Middle Eastern position and enable a German link-up in the Caucasus. The Bulgarians, it is suggested, do not believe that Russia will remain a passive spectator of the Axis use of Bulgarian territory and ports for any such purpose. They may well be assured on that point, and the Government at Sofia might also do well to reflect that British air power in Syria and Iraq will be a factor to be reckoned with in any open pro-Axis development in Bulgaria.