SECURITY IN EUROPE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 April 1939, Page 5

SECURITY IN EUROPE

PROSPECTS OF RUSSIAN CO-OPERATION RUMANIA NOT JOINING AXIS. NEGOTIATIONS WITH BALKAN STATES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, April 20. The Paris correspondent of the “Daily Express” says that M Bonnet added to his statement to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, tnaf the negotiations with Russia include the possibility of the Soviet sending not only warplanes, but in certain cases, troops for the assistance of Poland and Rumania. M Souritz and M Merekoloff, Soviet Ambassadors in Paris and Berlin respectively, passed through Warsaw yesterday en route for Moscow for today’s conference with M Litvinov, Soviet Foreign Minister, which the Russian Ambassador in M Maisky, will also attend. It is understood that they will discuss Russia’s attitude to the Western Powers. It is reliably reported from Warsaw tat Poland is extending assistance in armaments and military co-operation to Lithuania, Latvia, and Esthonia. No guarantees have been given to thesd States, thereby not endangering their neutrality. Messages from Berlin report that, despite the efforts of the German Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop, to persuade M Gafencu, Rumanian Foreign Minister, to commit Rumania to the Rome-Berlin axis, it is reliably stated that M Gafencu insisted that Rumania would maintain her neutrality. It is understood that they agreed to continue their conversations aimed at closer Rumanian-German trade relations.

The Bulgarian 'Minister in London, M Momchiloff, has left for Sofia for a consultation with King Boris and the Bulgarian Prime Minister, and is expected to return in a few days. His visit is regarded, as another indication of the part Britain, as well as Turkey, is playing in helping to organise Balkan security.