FACE TO FACE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 March 1939, Page 5

FACE TO FACE

HUNGARIAN AND RUMANIAN

TROOPS TRANSPORT REQUISITIONED. LARGE FORCES UNDER ARMS. LONDON, March 20. The Budapest correspondent of “The Times” states that the partial Hungarian mobilisation continues, but computation of numbers is impossible. Complete mobilisation may be decreed shortly. German and Italian material brought in during 1938 includes 5000 trucks and thousands of motor-cars capable of mounting machine-guns. The equipment of the infantry, apparently from Austria, is brand new. but the morale of the troops is poor and the men are dejected. Perhaps 5 per cent of the total population has been called to the colours. Cars and farm wagons everywhere have been requisitioned, and railway and passenger traffic is disorganised. Everything is directed against Rumania. Hungarian and Rumanian troops are now face to face. Poland has intervened diplomatically but the outlook is not encouraging., v . The Bucharest correspondent of the British United Press states that 350,000 Rumanians are now under arms, of whom 200,000 are in Transylvania ready to march at a moment’s notice. Air force reservists have been called up and army leave has been cancelled. It is estimated that in case of war Rumania could mobilise 2,000,000 men. though equipment for them all is not at present available. A Bucharest message states that there is no sign of alarm in Rumania. King Carol’s advisers have told him that there is no cause to fear an immediate attack either from Germany or Hungary.

FRENCH FORCES REGULAR ARMY INCREASED IN STRENGTH. LARGE-SCALE RECRUITMENT OF NATIVE TROOPS. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) PARIS, March 21. The permanent establishment of the French Regular Army will be increased from 700,000 men to 1,000,000 Specialists and technicians will be called up to man frontier defences and war material factories. A thousand new warplane pilots and 750 machine gunners will be enlisted at special rates of .pay. When plans for the largescale recruitment of native troops are completed France will have two million trained men ready for instant action and four million in reserve.

INFORMATION BANNED. CONCERNING FIGHTING FORCES. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) PARIS, March 21. Another decree is issued that information concerning the army, navy, aii force and subsidiary | services, including air raid precautions, are not to be published without the Government’s approval. Penalties for noncompliance will be similar to those for espionage.