INCREASING FEARS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1943, Page 3

INCREASING FEARS

IN OCCUPIED EUROPE OF EARLY ALLIED INVASION OF BALKANS. GOOD CAUSE FOR NERVOUSNESS SEEN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, April 25. Reports from occupied Europe reveal increasing fears of an imminent Allied invasion of Ihe Continent from Asia Minor in order to establish bridgeheads in the Balkans preparatory to a “back-door” approach to Germany.

According to the Cairo correspondent of the “New York Times,” Mr Sulzberger, the Italians believe the offensive may be started even before the conclusion of the Tunisian campaign.

Mr Sulzberger says that General Maitland Wilson’s. Ninth and Tenth armies (in Persia and Iraq) have been receiving supplies in spite of the demands for the forces of Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery. Furthermore, in case of a Balkan assault, General Wilson could augment his forces with troops from the African garrisons, the large Polish force that was transferred to the Middle East from Russia, Yugoslav troops, and two Greek brigades. Turkey’s growing public sympathy for the Allied cause must likewise worry the Germans. Without ostentation, the Allies have carefully improved their entire position in the Middle East in the past year, economically, politically and strategically. Thus, with the decided Allied naval superiority in the Mediterranean, plus the powerful air force which can be quickly switched from Africa, and the greatly strengthened forward base of Cyprus, there is obviously good for Axis nervousness, the correspondent concludes.

MASS ARRESTS AND NUMEROUS EXECUTIONS. REPORTED IN BULGARIA. LONDON, April 25. The news from Bulgaria shows that mass arrests and numerous executions have intensified the agitation among the people, says the Istanbul correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” The Premier, Professor Filov, and the puppet Government are awkwardly placed because Nazi pressure is being intensified at the same time as the people are increasing their opposition to the Government.

The discontent of military leaders is also reported to be growing. The newspapers in Sofia are playing up the arrest of M. Constantin Spissarevski, the former Bulgarian commercial attache in Alexandria. Spissarevski told the examining magistrate that he wrote booklets attacking Filov’s pro-Nazi policy. One strong underground organisation in Sofia is carrying on activity on behalf of the Anglo-Saxons, its victims being German sympathisers and supporters of the collaboration policy.