HITLER AND STALIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1941, Page 6

HITLER AND STALIN

ENGAGED IN IMPORTANT NEGOTIATIONS LARGE FORCES ARRAYED CLOSE TO THEIR FRONTIERS. BLACK SEA SHIPS ORDERED INTO PORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON. June 20. It is now generally accepted in London that Hitler and Stalin are engaged in negotiations of great importance, with large forces arrayed close to their frontiers. It is confirmed that Germany has mustered very considerable forces along the whole of her eastern border, and that large-scale military exercises are proceeding in many western provinces of Russia. The Moscow Radio stated that the lessons of the Russian-Finnish war and the German campaign in the west were being applied in the present military exercises. The best fighting units had been sifted from the bulk of the Red Army and given special assignments. It is reported from Ankara that the captains of two Rumanian ships at Istanbul have been ordered to remain .in harbour. All Rumanian ships sailing in the Black Sea have been ordered to put in immediately to Rumanian or Turkish ports. Finland has called up all men up to the age of 44 years. “The Times” diplomatic correspondent says the clearest sign of what the British Government thinks is the increasingly heavy bombing of the Ruhr and invasion ports. A semi-official Japanese commentator, writing in the newspaper “Yomiuri Shimbun.” asserts that German-Soviet tension is indisputable, and cannot be overlooked by Japan. He added: “There is a possibility that it may have some effect on Japanese diplomacy. It is superfluous to say that Japanese policy cannot change with a changing world situation ”