HUNGARY’S MOVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25279, 16 July 1943, Page 3

HUNGARY’S MOVE

A REPORTED OFFER NO RESISTANCE TO ALLIES (Rec. 0.15 a.m.) NEW YORK, July 15. The Hungarian Government recently informed Britain that the Hungarian army would not resist the Allies ~ . invaded the Danubian basin, says the Cairo correspondent of the New York Times, Mr A. H. Sulzberger. Shortly after this offer Count Bethlen, 'the former Hungarian Prime Minister, despatched a personal pledge to the Allies that the Hungarians would not oppose an Allied invasion in the Balkans if certain guarantees were given, including a promise not to bomb Budapest. Mr Sulzberger explains that the offer may be part of the war of nerves or a trap, but experienced observers are of the opinion that it is neither. He adds that the British Government replied that it took an extremely poor view of the weird suggestions. Informed circles emphasise that the Allies consider Hungary just as much enemy land as that of any other Axis partner, and it must therefore submit |o the terms of unconditional surrender. The Hungarian advances are, however, taken as a sign that the country is increasingly war weary and ready to do almost anything to get out of the trap set for itself when the Axis fortunes looked good. This spirit is even reflected in the Hungarian newspapers, several of ' which are almost openly for the Allies. For example, scheduled speeches by President Roosevelt and Mr Churchill were splashed on the front page, giving the hour in Central European time, thus informing readers when to turn on their radios.