OF THE RUSSO-GERMAN TALKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1939, Page 6

OF THE RUSSO-GERMAN TALKS

Plans For European Partition? OR CHECK TO NAZI AGGRESSION? OUTLOOK BY NO MEANS DEFINED (By Telegraph.—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day. 12.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, .September 28. The Moscow correspondent of the “New York Times’ states that a well-informed Embassy official, familiar with the Kremlin view, is most positive that Herr von Ribbentrop’s visit does net mark any triumph for Germany, but a new stage of gradually developing difficulties. The first of these is Russia s secret mobilisation, for which Germany sought an explanation in vain. The second stage is Russia’s suspected pressure to force Germany to agree to an advanced Soviet demarcation line in Poland.'cutting off Germany from contact with Rumania, depriving German}’ of the Galician oilfields and eventually exposing German Poland to Communist penetration by propaganda. The third stage is that of the Russian-Turkish negotiations, which it is believed will end with the Soviet replacing Germany as the dominant power in the Balkans. It is believed Russian plans concerning Turkey and the Balkans were advanced before Germany was informed concerning them, upon which Germany demanded that Herr von Ribbentrop be invited to Moscow before the arrangement was finalised. Similarly, the Soviet’s ominous attitude towards Estonia is held to presage a loss of German influence in Estonia, which will become a Soviet protectorate. None of these diplomatic setbacks is considered to preclude Herr von Ribbentrop from securing impressive paper agreements, both for supplies from Russia and from the Balkans and for Poland’s future. On the contrary, other well-informed circles consider Herr ven Ribbentrop’s visit as a further consolidation of RussianGerman co-operation and as a revelation of another stage of this, as a preliminary to the disclosure of a full military pact. A Russian-German partition of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe is expected as a result. The Baltic States are likely to be divided into spheres of influence, Russia receiving the major share, and a Polish buffer state being established, Russia contributing part of the territory allotted to her. Germany would be allotted Hungary and most of Rumania, Russia controlling Bessarabia, Rumania’s Black Sea coast and Bulgaria, at least economically. The Embassy view that the visit is not a triumph is supported, by the Berlin, correspondent of the United Press, who reports that Russia’s increasing interest in the Balkans is engendering anxiety at the possibility of a Russian Pan-Slavic movement. Informed quarters believe that Herr von Ribbentrop’s conversations cover the Soviet’s awakening interest in the Balkans, which hitherto have been regarded as exclusively an Italian and German concern. The .inclusion of the Danzig leader, Herr Foerster, in the delegation is believed to indicate economic discussions. It is pointed out that Ihe Polish demarcation has given Russia a Vistula outlet to the Baltic.