CEDED TERRITORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24415, 28 September 1940, Page 12

CEDED TERRITORY

LOSS TO RUMANIA ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OPINIONS OF EXPERTS (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Sept. 26. (Received Sept. 27, at 7 p.m.) Economic experts in London who have now had time to subject the closer scrutiny the Vienna dictate by which Rumania lost 52,700 square kilometres to Hungary, find its economic implications no less interesting than the political ones. By this transfer, effected under Axis threats, there come within the control of Hungary, which in turn is even more under the Axis influence than the new Rumanian regime, territory yielding important supplies and commodities in whicJ Germany and Italy are deficient. The 12 ceded provinces are carrying with them 15 per cent, of the output of the meat of former Rumania, 7 per cent of the maize, 4 per cent, of the oats, 20 per cent, of the barley, 9 per cent, of the horses, 19 per cent of the cows, 12 per cent, of the sheep, and 13 per cent, of the pigs together with 70,000 tons of malt a year, and certain amounts of gold, silver, lead, and zinc. At the same time, a quarter of the total forest land of Rumania was handed to Hungary. The Axis Powers, therefore, succeeded in bringing into their grasp much valuable plunder, while at the same time leaving a fine confusion of unsettled racial and other problems which are sure to cause renewed trouble in which Germany can interfere again to her advantage whenever it suits the Nazi policy. Under the Vienna dictate, Rumania lost 2,883,000 of her former population, but this includes only 1,000,000 Hungarians, compared with 1.266.000 Rumanians now transferred to Hungary. The remainder are made up of various races, including 60.000 Germans, who will doubtless be used to cause trouble in Hungary if that country shows an independent spirit. To add to the complications, 490,000 Hungarians are still left within the new Rumanian frontier.