CLOUDS OF RUMOUR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 January 1941, Page 6

CLOUDS OF RUMOUR

SURROUNDING POSITION IN BALKANS ■j DEVELOPMENT OF NAZI CAMPAIGN. ULTIMATUM TO BULGARIA NOT CONFIRMED. (British Official Wireless, i RUGBY. January 7. i There is im voiilirniution in > London of die reported Gernum ii’linn-itnni |o Bnlgariii. , The Nazi |iro|>agan(ia machine lias been lui>;. reeently spremlI mg such a smokescreen of I rummir iluii limn* will iimviii ably l>e discussion about |hr I piayiaralions for new moves wliivh limy be |>rov(‘edlng be- > hind it. ■ In this it is not overlooked that a I ! curtain of conflicting reports may serve j ; as useful to hide the perplexities and ’ ■ indecision to which in a totalitarian re-i I gime the infallible leader cannot admit! ; as m conceal a premeditated criminal j assault or to mislead each of its pos- J • sible victims. There is no doubt that Axis prestige j i has sufi’ered very badly in south-east-' ; ern Europe in consequence of the se- i verc reverses of the Italian forces.' 1 I’ >s characteristic of Nazi tactics to’ ; seel; to make prestige good by foster- j ing a vague sense of menace. This ’ relati .'ii in the propaganda scheme bei tween Italy’s failures and Germany's: I threats is revi'aled in one line taken i iby the Nazis. It suggests that the 1 British success at Bardin is overI shadowed by reports of impending events itt the Balkans, while those in i ■ turn lake second place .to the expccta-i > lion of a direct attack on Britain I i This particular campaign has now) j reached the familiar phase of every • ' Nazi propaganda cycle, and yesterday I j Berlin began expressing aggrieved \ i surprise, I Regarding Bulgaria, it asserted that, I the German attitude was based on the’ • traditional friendship' between the two! 'countries, bu'. added the comment ofj I sinister import that no information j ! could be given of "details of co-opera- ; I tie;)" with Sofia, A large part of ! Europe has learnt U> its cost m the! ; last year what "ee-operation" with the Nan regime may imply. Evidence available in London doesnot permit observers to draw any de- \ finite conclusions as to the Nazi inten- i tiems. Hitler’s need for some spectacu- \ lar stroke to distract attention and j reassure opinion is certainly much: greater than when Mr. Churchill point-j cd to it before Christmas as one of the! principal factors in the situation. On I the other hand, the Nazis must be aware of the many disadvantages ofy embarking on new adventures in: soiuh.eastern Europe at the present L As m the great gamble of an at- ' tempi :<> invade Britain, any setback • ! to the German arms, which m other I. eiri?!'!’ -timers might be covered up orb expkiinfd away, coming now on top of , ' the li ilinn reverses might be so serious i : in cdew on the morale of the German !; j»e■■mh 1 as to give Hitler sjwiitl cause-! to renew his hesitation Observers! mdmv. therefore u> the vww that Ger-: man mit'alivv may well for the presentbe hmile-d to exji’oitmg to the u'nidst: the pressure they arc- able to exert on the weaker Slates in south-,-astert'. Europe. j HOME /AGAIN THE BULGARIAN PREMIER. VISIT 'l’o GERMANY DENIED. SOFIA, January 7, ; 'De B b>m Prtmti, I’tMe-Mi FihM has returned from Vienna Ho ” v 'ilri '-. I comment »n the rvjxirts : sir. >.• German troop concmtratkins ‘an ;h<-' Danube opposite Bulgaria. A Go. j s'ivkcsnmn dccL'ired: "We have ro knowledge < f any basis for nmmurs." Late, I’refrssor Filrnt said: "Report* i'v v<-"‘ '-I Germany are . H ■ 'r.-fused : ‘ amplify thA • wlm-h !S under-••>.'.<! I.J !:■ <i;;i !: •’ !|->',-‘-.e II!;'.' II!--' : .a'. ■ . -a m-maiiil.