THE BALKAN DEBACLE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 273, 19 February 1941, Page 4

THE BALKAN DEBACLE

MAY .we be permitted in our own. humble manner to give a brief review of what appears to be happening in the great conflict building up overseas. The Nazi leader after his last outburst has been ominously silent, and the world arena has been filled with the drastic scenes of the happenings m North Africa, where the legions of the bombastic creator of Fascism have been put flight or have ignominiously surrendered. Mussolini as an active combatant appears to be of little consequence now, but the sinister shadow of Hitler is cast in a southerly direction, and Bulgaria, already overrun by German 'tourists' trembles lest the wrath #f either side be turned against her. Almost inevitably, this unhappy country must become the battleground of the near future. She can take no middle course, for the espousal of the German cause means immediate invasion by the Nazi hordes (undisguised) and the equally drastic declaration of war by Turkey, which country must start a counter invasion from the south in order to prevent her own frontiers from violation. If on the other hand,, this little nation pledges faith to Britain and spurns the Nazi bribe, her people are helpless before the hundreds of thousands now massed on her Rumanian borders. Whichever her choice it must be an unhappy one for the Nazi military machine has had the greatest exercise in over-running the helpless little peoples of Europe. But what of Stalin ? Across the waters of the Black Sea t<he giant forces of the Soviet, remain still the unknown quantity. The Russian guarantee to Bulgaria still stands, but in the light of past experiences, is liable to be disregarded unless the armies of Communism see something in the sudden movement which would help spread their own doctrine at a time when chaos and terror have played their own disintegrating part. Russia, however, remains the spectator, though, memory advises that without being officially embroiled in the European hotch-potch she has enriched herself by forcibly annexing half Poland, the independent states of Latvia, Lithuania and Esthonia and also plundered the innocent Finns. What is in Stalin's mind can alone prevent

or condemn Bulgaria to her fate. Hitler's"plan is obvious. The drive south will if successful cut off the gallant Greeks from their, very base of supply and direction. The Albanian \campaign would be frozen and the fighting Greek army would be forced to defend a dual front. We wonder and wait. In the meantime the threatened 'invasion of Britain' has not passed the announcement stage, and the mainland trembles under the terrific counter blows delivered by the Rj.A.F. against possible bases which may be used by the Nazis for what is recognised as their greatest undertaking in this the greatest struggle for freedom in human history.