WICKEDNESS OF BULGARIANS

Southland Times, Issue 25482, 30 September 1944, Page 5

WICKEDNESS OF BULGARIANS

Mr Churchill spoke of the many acts of wanton cruelty and wickedness of the Bulgarians in the present war, in which Bulgarians themselves had suffered nothing. “Some of the worst war criminals are Bulgarians,” he said. “They might be treated as co-belliger-ents, but as far as Britain is concerned they must work their passage for a long time in no uncertain fashion, before we could afford them any special status.’ Mr Churchill added that the more vigour with which the Bulgarians fell upon the Germans, the more they would be able to draw the attention of the victorious nations from their previous mistakes. LIBERATION OF BELGIUM The Prime Minister expressed gratification at the part played by British troops in the liberation ’of Belgium. “We have read,” he said, “of the tumultuous welcome which everywhere our troops received from the Belgians and I regard this as a happy augury for the maintenance and strengthening of the ties of friendship between the two countries. Referring to the Dumbarton Oaks conference between Britain, the United States and the Soviet, Mr Churchill said it was to be expected that similar conversations would follow between British and American delegations and representatives of China. There was no doubt that a most valuable task had been discharged at the conference. The whole scene had been explored and many difficulties not merely discovered but adjusted. * “In this war there has been none of those differences between political unprofessional elements such as we had in the last war. Our complete confidence in our chiefs of staff has steadily grown and in consequence of that fact we have had no changes. The men who met at Quebec knew each other well and were united in the bonds of comprehension. “Obviously the discussions were concerned with the successful winning of the war in Europe and also with the new phase - of the war against Japan which will dominate all our minds and command all our resources from the moment the German war has ended. “We owe it to Australia and New Zealand to help them to remove from their homeland for ever the Japanese menace, as they, have helped us on every front m the fight against Germany. We shall

certainly not be behindhand in giving them effective aid. Our perseverance in this quarrel is not to be doubted.”

Turning to the Quebec Conference, Mr Churchill said the victories gained in common had made an agreeable foundation for inter-Allied conferences like the one just finished. It was very much more pleasing to share victories than disasters. We had shared both and in every way the former was the more exhilarating process. “I have never been one of those who believed all the problems of. the immediate future could be solved .while we are actually engaged in a life and death struggle with the German and Nazi power and when the development of the war against Japan must increasingly claim first place in the minds of those responsible for the conduct of the war,” said Mr Churchill.

ALTERNATIVE TO

ARMISTICE UNILATERAL ALLIED DECLARATION

(Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, Sept. 29. Mr Churchill’s suggestion that the war might end by a unilateral Allied declaration instead of a formal armistice is. regarded as highly significant, although his own recollection of . the Boer War must indicate that the British public is unlikely to agree to outlawing patriots, even Nazis, who maintain a guerrilla resistance, says the London correspondent of The New York Times. Mr Churchill’s remark is believed to be based on reports from many sources that Hitler and his generals nave devised a two-fold plan for continuing resistance after the main German army has been overwhelmed: (1) The withdrawal of some troops to the Bavarian and Austrian hills to continue fighting. (2) The' establishment of a skeleton underground Nazi organization throughout Germany. Mr Churchill implied that once the Reich is effectively occupied, the Allied declaration would be the signal for a start to other plans, such as the transfer of forces to the Pacific, the reconstruction of Europe or the partial demobilization ;of the British ground forces.