PROPAGANDA EFFORTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20130, 27 December 1939, Page 7

PROPAGANDA EFFORTS

BULLYING OF NEUTRALS GERMAN ACTIVITY MANY STATES AFFECTED LONDON, Dec. 11. The Germans continue to blackmail the smaller countries. Last week the Scandinavians were threatened. Today, Belgium and Holland are again semi-officially warned that their docility and lack of resistance toBritish sea power are unjustifiable. The Dienst aus Deutschland staler “Belgium and Holland are determinet to defend their neutrality oh land, despite their inferior military strength. Tbey-should do likewise at sea.” Tne paper goes on to refer to neutral shipping already sunk in British waters, and implies that the num bers will increase unless the cour. tries revolt against the economi. warfare. Belgium is specifically warned that Germany is cognisant of a flagrar. breach of neutrality }n the supplym of iron ore and steel to Britain and France, despite negotiations wit;. Germany for these products in exchange for coke and other goods fror. Germany. It is declared that Belgium contract to deliver 245,000 tons 1 Britain in February exhausts all po: sible supplies and trebles the norm:., sales to England. The Diplomatisch-Politisch Korrcspondenz, the organ of the Germa . Foreign Office, blandly ignores Go: many’s policy, and accuses Britai of bullying neutrals. It “proves” th;. the Russo-Finnish war is the ou.-., come of British machinations, an-: declares that Britain has the base;. designs on Rumania. Greece and the Allies German propaganda in Greece lu; failed dismally. It is reported sutho itatively from Athens that Grev . sympatmes are wholly with the Allit , despite German allegations, -.first, Blithe landslide at the Corinth Cana last summer was the result of sabotage by British agents. Secondly, it is declared, General Weygand (now the French Commanc. - er-in-Chief in the Near East) asxt _ the Greeks to send troops to France, and, thirdly, French troops have DCs... ianded at Salonika (Greece). Trade between Greece and Germany has been reduced to a minimun and an increase is unlikely, despite the overtures of ITerr von Tschammt und Osten, the Reich Sport Leade.. who visited Athens ostensibly to dii cuss the Olympic Games, but devote . nis time to talking trade. The Soviet’s propaganda against the Allies seems to be more, success - ful in South-Eastern Europe. At both Sofia, the Bulgarian capita’., and Belgrade,' the Yugoslavian capital, Communists and students have demonstrated against the Allies, anc Soviet publications are now permitted in Bulgaria. They sell ou. every edition. Consequently , it l feared that King Boris of Bulgaria, will be unable to carry out his previously declared reconciliation policy cowards his neighbours. This upsets immediate hopes of conesion throughout the Balkans, which seemed to be promising in November. The Russian invasion of Finland has caused anxiety, and the discovery of a widespread irridentist plot in Transylvania (Rumania), when relations between Hungary and Rumania appeared to be improving, has dealt a further blow to a general rapprochement. The Factor of Stability The alliance between Greece and Turkey, which is backed up by the British guarantees, forms the most stable single factor in the Balkans, and acts as an antidote to the vioient German propaganda in Turkey. Likewise, the improvement in relations between Italy and Greece is important. The Greeks express satisfaction that Italy is consistently withdrawing her troops from Albania. Ten thousand have departed for Libya in the past fortnight. Italy's eventual intentions are still undefined, but the declaration of the Fascist Grand Council last week, reaffirming Italian interest in SouthEastern Europe, is welcomed as a warning to Russia and Germany.