WAKING UP

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21183, 5 August 1940, Page 8

WAKING UP

CONDITIONS IN RUMANIA OPPOSITION TO NAZIS DEMANDS OF HUNGARY i (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright;. (Received August 5, 3.15 p.m.) LONDON, August 4 The Balkans correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the Rumanians are increasingly not appreciating the German proposal that Rumanian statesmen should commit national suicide. The almost impossible seems to have happened with the violently Germanophile Iron Guard issuing t “No surrender” manifesto, which urges the Rumanians to waken to the perils of the moment, and distinguish between greedy Powers seeking to impose concessions and Powers which helped Rumania in the last war. The Germans probably no longer consider the Iron Guard necessary as a political weapon, and have withdrawn their support. Another surprise was a leaflet issued by the ex-Peasant Party leader, M. Maniu, declaring that Hungary had not modified her demands and her promises of autonomy for Western Transylvania and could not be trusted. He adds: “Force must be met by force.” Even more interesting than these anti-revisionist leaflets is the flickering up of a semblance of party political activity under the stress of Germany’s demands for further Rumanian sacrifices. The Balkans correspondent of the Times says he has become convinced of the truth of the assertion that all Rumanians in Transylvania stood behind M. Maniu during a tour of the disputed areas, where he found repeated evidence of Rumanian ability to resist Hungarian assaults if the latter are not backed by the Axis. Rumania's Superior Defences Contrasting the ill-armed casual Hungarian patrols and the Rumanians, the Times correspondent says the well-drilled Rumanian defences are superior to anything else in the Balkans. The Sofia correspondent of the Times says well-informed circles believe that Rumania has accepted the principle of the Bulgarian proposal for the transfer of South Dobrudja. The Istanbul correspondent of the Times says that despite official reserve it is generally acknowledged that the Balkan Entente exists now only In name. Turkish-Greek friendship is the only part of the Balkan cooperation still unimpaired. Turkey’s present policy toward the Balkans is one of watchful waiting whole she perfects her defence of Thrace and the Dardanelles. The attitude toward the Axis is the subject of heated discussion. A small section of the press favours a policy of acknowledging Germany as the predominant Power in Europe. However, most newspapers retort that this would mean subservience to German hegemony. Turkey would reply in the affirmative if the Axis desires normal economic relations, based on common consent and common interests, and emphatically “No” if the imposition of a hegemony is proposed. “NO SURRENDER” RUMANIAN IRON GUARD MOVE AGAINST CONCESSIONS TURKEY AND YUGOSLAVIA . (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Aug. 3 Members of the Rumanian Iron Guard have secretly distributed all over the country tens of thousands of “ No Surrender ” pamphlets, which say: “ Rumanians have been deceived from the outside and from the inside. We urge the people not to renounce the right to think and speak and not to surrender one inch of the country.” It is announced from Ankara that Turkey and Yugoslavia have signed a protocol considerably extending the commercial exchanges between the two countries. The Prime Minister of Greece, General Metaxas, said in a speech at Athens that Greece would remain neutral, and was convinced that every State would recognise her good faith and respect her neutrality. UNREST IN ALBANIA ITALIAN BATTALION’S LOSS ENGAGEMENT WITH TRIBESMEN United Press Assn.—Elec. Tei. Copyright) LONDON, Aug. 3 Italy is reported to be having difficulty with the tribesmen in Albania. An Italian battalion suffered 100 casualties and lost material in an ambush in Central Albania. The Italians burned three Albanian villages as a reprisal for another incident in which a colonel was killed. SOVIET REPUBLIC INCLUSION OF LITHUANIA .United Press ASin.—Elec. T*»i. Copyright) MOSCOW. Aug. 4 Stalin attended a meeting of the Russian Parliament which unanimously voted the establishment of Lithuania as the 14th Soviet Republic.