TROOPS ASSEMBLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1941, Page 5

TROOPS ASSEMBLING

RUSSIAN, YUGOSLAVIAN AND RUMANIAN AMERICAN DIPLOMATS NOT OPTIMISTIC. NO CHANGE IN SOVIET POLICY. LIKELY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 4. The Soviet has ordered a blackout at Odessa, Kishinev and Czernowitz. More motorised units of the Red Army have moved up to the frontier from Kiev. According to a Budapest message, Yugoslavia is calling up reserves and concentrating troops at strategic points. It is reported from Bucharest that Rumania will have a million men under arms by March 15. The Government today requisitioned 17 river tugs and 36 flat-bottomed vessels belonging to Greece. There are now no illusions in Turkey regarding Bulgaria’s treachery, says the Ankara correspondent of “The Times.” Bulgaria has voluntarily admitted German troops to prepare its territory as a base for military operations against Greece and, in turn, Turkey. This happened three hours after the Bulgarian Minister in Ankara gave the Turkish Government to understand .that Bulgarian was signing the Tripartite Pact to avoid German occupation. American diplomats are not optimistic regarding the Balkans situation. They believe Germany has manoeuvred Yugoslavia into a position where resistance will be hopeless, and furthermore that is doubtful whether Turkey will fight unless Stalin deserts the Russian-German agreement. Observers point out that no news has been received of the new British-Turkish agreement after Mr. Eden’s visit to Ankara.

The general conclusion in London is that it would be futile to pretend that the Soviet Note to Bulgaria means any change in the Russian policy. The Turks interpret Russia’s most recent declarations as meaning that she is not disposed to go to war for her Balkan interests till Germany is seriously weakened, for which reason it is felt that should Turkey resist strongly Russia would not be displeased. The Yugoslavia Press gave prominence to the Russian Note, which it regarded as a Russian guarantee to Turkey that she would not stab Turkey in the back if they moved against the Germans.