RUMANIA AND BULGARIA

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21687, 25 March 1942, Page 3

RUMANIA AND BULGARIA

ATTITUDE TO THE AXIS CONCERN IN TURKEY {United Press Assn.—nee. Tel. Cooyrtgnil LONDON, March 23 The Balkans and Turkey are keenly watching developments in the ! situation in Bulgaria, Rumania and Hungary, which are equally unsatis--1 factory from the Axis viewpoint. The Times’ Istanbul correspondent ! says the Bulgarian Cabinet, after an I obscure semi-official warning from I Berlin, held a four-hour sitting, ; at which it is believed the majority I of the Ministers favoured a tem- ; porising policy regarding the active | participation of Bulgaria in the war' ! against Russia. M. Koroff will ar- ' rive at Sofia from Ankara shortly, | and it is understood that Bulgarian I diplomatic representatives in Berlin, Rome, Budapest and Bucharest have I received similar invitations. I These were probably sent after the . Cabinet meeting, in order that the I whole situation might be reviewed : before momentous decisions were j taken which were necessitated by | the strong German pressure. ; Meantime it is significant that the Bulgarian paper has chosen the present moment to recall the interview of Hitler in 1939 with the then Bulgarian Prime Minister, in which Hitler was reported as saying that he only wished for peace and quietness in the Balkans, which would be more appreciated than any military assistance that Bulgaria might give. What interests Turkey particularly is the fact that besides the Bulgarian people’s alleged Russophile feeling the Bulgarian Government is i using the danger of an eventual Turkish attack against Bulgaria as a pretext for refusing to send troopi to the Russian front. Conferences With Hitler There is a feeling that von Papen’s hurried departure on March 21 to Bulgaria whence, he goes straight to Hitler’s headquarters, is due to an urgent summons to report the truth about the alleged Bulgarian fears of Turkey. It is considered probable that a German inquiry about the Turkish attitude towards Bulgaria will be made at Ankara after von Papen’s* consultations. There is no doubt about the Turkish answer, should such an inquiry be made. It would be that Turkey’s policy remains one of peace and neutrality and Bulgaria has nothing to fear from Turkey. The Times correspondent from the German frontier says that there is chagrin in Berlin that the long smouldering enmity between the Rumania and Hungarian peoples should burst into flames when preparations for a spring offensive against Russia demand unity among all participators. Rumania has claimed Italy’s support, while Hungary has cited Germany as her second. Berlin must find a quick solution in order tq minimise the risk of an armed conflict between the two States. The tactics adopted are to play on the fear of a Soviet victory and the loss of all territories won by the sacrifices of war. Berlin, however, is uneasy at the Hungarian Prime Minister’s statement that Hungary’s participation on the side of the Axis must not be allowed to diminish her home defences, because it shows that both Rumania and Hungary are using the threat from their neighbour for withholding full aid from the Axis. Hostile Demonstrations A message from Bucharest states that hostile demonstrations are reported to have occurred in Bucharest and other centres of Rumania. There have also been demonstrations in Hungary.