Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1943. PORTENTS IN THE BALKANS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1943. PORTENTS IN THE BALKANS.

ALTHOUGH in his broadcast from Quebec the British Prime Minister dealt with the war in its largest aspects, some references he made to the position and outlook m South-Bastern Europe are of particular and immediate inteiest. e saic, or example: — The most important and significant events are taking place in the Balkans as a result of the Russian victories and alsol believe of the Anglo-American campaign against Italy. Twice in the last thirty years the Bulgarian people will owe their liberation to Russia. Mr Churchill spoke also of the hope entertained by the Allies of seeiiTO a full re-establishment of the liberties of the valiant peoples of Greece and Yugoslavia. In this matter as m others, he said nothing, and could not have been expected to say anything, about the actual course military events are likely to take, but it is plain to ordinary observation that the whole Axis position in South-Eastern. Europe is beginning to crumble, and it will not be forgotten that a similar crumbling marked the beginning of the end for Germany in 1918. There is, of course, no exact parallel between the present war situation and the final phase of the last war. When the Bulgarians were attacked and broken by Franco-Serb forces west of the Vardar in September, 1918, and soon afterwards were compelled to surrender, it was in France and the Low Countries that the Germans were being smashed back in defeat, as they are now in Russia. Taking account, however, ol the o-reat and rising power of land and air attack to which they are subjected'in East and West, of their overwhelming defeats m North Africa and Sicily, of the collapse, or imminent collapse of Italy, the defeat for the time being of the U-boats and other factors, it can hardly be suggested that the Germans are more happily placed in South-Eastern Europe than they were 25 jeais In spite of strenuous and costly efforts, they have failed to dispose of the Yugoslavian forces operating behind the Axis defence line'stretching from Grecian Thrace to Albania. The Yugoslav patriot forces are reported lately to have composed their sectional differences and to have made considerable gains in Bosnia and Croatia, in conflict with reinforced Geiman armies. There is apparently conclusive evidence, too, not only that Bulgaria is seeking an escape from Nazi toils, but that Germany’s other Balkan satellites, Rumania and Hungary, aie similarly inclined. The Allies already are reasonably well placed to take hold of the opportunities thus offered —opportunities not only of clearing the Germans out of the Balkans but of using Balkan territory as an avenue of approach to the Danube valley. Yugoslavia and Bulgaria are within comparatively .short bombing range of Sicily. Still better avenues and opportunities of attack will be opened up, however, when the Allied area of occupation extends, as it may very soon, into Southern Italy.