HOW RUSSIA HELPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 May 1940, Page 3

HOW RUSSIA HELPS

TRAFFIC TO THE REICH

SABOTAGING THE NAZIS,

CORRESPONDENT’S BELIEF.

Is Russia sabotaging Germany? Eugen Kovacs, a special correspondent of the “New York Times.'' declares that she is. In an article telephoned from Orasheni. on the Russo-Rumanian frontier, he said Orasheni ought to be the wide open gate through which Rumanian products should —with the help of • the Russians —pour into Germany. But the Russians are seeing to it that as little food and wood as possible go through. Russia sabotages the Germans and the Germans do not trust the Russians.

According to this correspondent, the British Ambassador to Moscow was told by the Soviet Vice-Commissar fot Foreign Affairs, M. Potemkin, that the help Germany would get from Russia was much smaller than either Britain or Germany thought. In Orasheni Mt Kovacs claims to have seen how true M. Potemkin's remark was. This frontier town is the starting point of a railway which runs to Berlin after passing 190 miles of Russian-helc territory. In addition it is the only line on Russian territory which has a gang), of normal width. In the. Russo-German railway agreement of last September it was expressly stipulated that the normal gauge should remain on this line, over which five trains of GO cars each are supposed to travel daily, full in one direction, empty in the other. KILLING THE TRAFFIC. Yet since the line was opened for this traffic only 600-odd cars had passed each way through Orasheni, instead ot 18,000! It could be ascertained, said the writer, that the Russians were deliberately impeding traffic and that they had given the Germans all sorts ol trouble right from the start. They asked that the freight be paid in dollars and then they kept the loaded cars; the trains were plundered and long negotiations took place aboui them. The Russians sent back transit merchandise bound for Scandinavia. This was causing the Germans, much unpleasantness. The Germans; had been exporting various goods from Rumania, such as feathers for Oslo. The Germans bought the feathers in Rumania for marks and sold them in Oslo for dollars. Later they were obliged to send all these consignments to Stettin and forward them from there. Finally they killed the traffic by the slow forwarding of the transports. LEISURELY PROGRESS. The procedure of traffic handling at Crasheni is described thus: — . The Rumania officials telephone to the Russians at 8 o’clock that there is a train ready to start. The Russians reply that they will be there at 10. whereupon ‘a Rumanian policeman is sent to the frontier on the bridge to receive them.

They wait and wait, but there is no sign of the Russians, At last, at 1 o’clock, the Russians’ locomotive, with a Russian staff makes its appearance. The reason for the delay is that the Russian railwaymen must have their lunch before they start, as they are not allowed by the Russians to bring money into Rumania or to buy or accept anything there—not even a cigarette. Next the identity documents arc checked. Everything is done in silence. The Russians do not exchange a single word with their Rumanian colleagues. Then the handing over of the train begins. They wait till 4.30. for the Russians check everything unbelievably slowly and thoroughly. Then the train slowly moves out, but as it is dark by 5 o'clock no other train comes along with empty cars. “FAKE TRAFFIC." The proof that this is sabotage is the fact that in normal times 400 to 500 cars used to travel on this line to Poland and Northern Europe, whereas today the traffic is nothing but a fake traffic. Maize, oil cakes, apples, eggs, butter, meat and lumber are the chief goods that go over this line. Not a single tank car has passed over it. for the Germans are afraid that the oil will be kept in Russia. The Germans lock up the cars as best they can to prevent their being plundered. So far the Germans have sent over only German cars, since if they sent Polish ones the Russians would simply keep them, saying that they had captured them after the occupation. Summing up, the writer says it is obvious that the Russians are managing the line and not allowing the Germans to have anything to do with it. Also, a two-hour round was sufficient to convince him that the frontier was entirely in Russian hands.