GERMAN MOVE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 December 1939, Page 7

GERMAN MOVE

REPORTED SECRET PACT < GUARANTEE OF RUMANIAN INTEGRITY. POSSIBLE SOVIET RETORT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON. December 9. The Budapest correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain says it is reported that Germany has secretly reached an agreement with Rumania, guaranteeing Rumanian frontiers against Russian invasion, though the same agency’s Bucharest representative says official circles deny the agreement. However, a report sent to New York says it is understood that an accord between Germany and Rumania was concluded a month ago. Though usually well-informed Rumanians appear to have been unaware of it, Hungary’s Foreign Office is convinced that the report is correct.

Hungarian officials are most disturbed, because it seems to doom their aspirations to recover Transylvania. If true, it explains Rumania's firmness in announcing her determination to defend her territory. It also indicates that all is not well between Russia and Germany. Trouble between Russia and Rumania is not anticipated unless Russia is ready to face Germany's active disapproval: It is believed that Germany is seeking to direct Russian ambitions against Turkey. The Hungarians fear that Russia will use the Bulgarian pan-Slavic, Communist, and Revisionist movements to stir up the Dobruja dispute, thus double-crossing Germany. It is not clear how the alleged guarantee to Rumania would operate in such circumstances. The “New York Times” Budapest correspondent, referring to the reported German guarantee of Rumanian frontiers, which is said to except the frontier with Bulgaria, says the guarantee provides for the exchange of economic concessions. The Hungarian Foreign Office be- i lieves the guarantee includes Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Transylvania, in exchange for which Germany is promised access to as much oil and grain as she needs. THREAT DISOWNED SOVIET AND “COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL." MOSCOW. December 9. The Foreign Office Press department states that the ' Communist International' 1 articles cabled on December 6 do not represent the views of the Soviet Government. The articles declared that the Rumanian minorities and workers were oppressed and exploited and urged that a mutual aid pact between Russia and Rumania similar to the Soviet pacts with Baltic States was "necessary for the peaceful development of the Rumanians.” They warned the Turks against being involved in British and French designs to extend the war to the Balkans to form an anti-Ger-man front.

DOUBTS JN BRITAIN ACTION MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN WORDS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 9. The Soviet assurance to Rumania has received due attention in official quarters here, but there is an inclination to regard as a more adequate commentary on the Soviet Government's real intentions the fact that at exactly the same time as it was assuring Rumania of its friendly intentions, it constituted a new special military district for Odessa. It. seems possible, in the view of informed observers, that the real reason for giving assurances was that the Soviet forces had received an unexpected setback in the attack on Finland. which necessitated some delay in putting the plans against Rumania into operation.