POLICY IN BALKANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 July 1940, Page 5

POLICY IN BALKANS

GERMANY’S CONFERENCES WITH LEADERS HITLER’S DESIRE FLOW OF OIL & OTHER SUPPLIES. RUSSIA INCREASINGLY ALARMED. (By Telegraph— Association —Copyright) LONDON, July 25. Germany’s conferences at, the weekend with leaders in the Balkan States have been expanded to include Slovakia and possibly Hungary. The official German news agency says the impending visit of the Balkan statesmen is intended to regulate'and stabilise conditions in south-eastern Europe in a peaceful manner. Economic questions will figure largely in the discussions. The Rumanian Premier, M. Gigurtu, and the Foreign Minister, M. Manoilescu, will be the first Balkan statesmen to meet the German representatives. They will meet the German Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop, at Salzburg on July 26, and will meet Signor Mussolini on Saturday. The Bulgarian representatives will be the Premier, Professor Filoff, and the Foreign Minister. M. Popoff. The Slovak representatives will be the President, M. Tiso, and the Premier, M. Tuku. Neutral correspondents in the Balkan capitals express the opinion that the conferences represent the .initial move on the part of the Axis Powers to formulate Hitler's boasted “new' order in Europe.” The immediate cause is Hitler’s urgent desire for peace in the Balkans in order to obtain constant supplies of war materials, particularly oil. The seizure by Rumania of the Astra Rumanian Oil Company coincided with the publication in the Rumanian Press of a German White Book alleging a British and French plot to wreck wells and refineries to prevent oil reaching Germany. A decree issued in Bucharest commandeers all railway tanker-cars, _ including those belonging to foreignowned oil companies. . The Budapest correspondent of “The Times” says the Foreign Office organ “Pester Lloyd” states that after the settlement of Rumanian-Hungarian problems through the peaceful cession of parts of Transylvania, Rumania and Hungary will sign a pact of friendship. The “Daily Mail’s” Bucharest correspondent says more and more German troops are marching into Slovakia and German-occupied Poland. Russia is becoming increasingly alarmed over Germany’s south-eastern moves. TURKISH ARMY MORE MEN CALLED UP. TWENTY DIVISIONS IN EUROPE. ISTANBUL, July 25. Turkey has called up the 1911, 1912 and 1913 classes. Reinforcements are continually going to Thrace. At least 20 divisions are now in Turkey-in-Europe. • The Anatolian news agency denied that Turkey and Rumania had broken off their trade talks, under which petrol was already being exchanged for Turkish wool and mohair. The German Ambassador to Turkey, Dr von Papen, has gone to Berlin on Hitler’s instructions.