WEYGAND IN PARIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1940, Page 6

WEYGAND IN PARIS

SPOTLIGHT OF DIPLOMACY ON BLACK SEA ORGANISATIONS OF TURKISH DEFENCES. HUNGARY GETS GUARANTEE FROM ITALY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON. March 31. The Allied eorniiiaiidor in the .Middle Bast, General Weygancl. unexpectedly arrived in Paris and eoni'erred with the War Cabinet, ami Admiral Monren, of the b'rench Navy, lias arrived in Isianlml to organise lhe defciieos al Turkey's Black Sea ports. The spotlight of world diplomacy rests on the Black Sea. Mr Churchill’s forecast of intensification of the war is interpreted as first, a decisive tightening up of the blockade, and, secondly, a British and French diplomatic counter-offensive throughout the Balkans. The Bulgarian deputy. M Stainov. told the newspaper "Slovo” that Turkey “has let. herself be forced to yield to British pressure to permit the passage of warships through the Straits.” He added: "The war will be decided in the Black Sea. Germany cannot continue without her Black Sea oil supply." A message from Genova reports that a communique issued, by the exiled Georgian Government says it is learned from Batum to M Stalin has ousted the Soviet Government in Georgia and installed a military governor. The exiled Government’s representative. M Chavichvile. said that the news that the Allied armies were assembling in Syria and Palestine had increased resistance to the Soviet in the Transcaucasian Republics, and the Kremlin, therefore, forced the entire Georgian Soviet to resign and sent a heavy force of military police to support the new governor. A Budapest message says it is authoritatively stated that the Prime Minister, Count Teleki, who is to return today ..from Rome, ..obtained a guarantee of Hungary’s independence from Signor Mussolini and an assurance that Italy is not participating in any plan to divide South-Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Count Teleki, it. is reported, promised that Hungary will not press her claims against Rumania until after the war, when she is to receive Italian support.