MOVES IN THE BALKANS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21363, 6 March 1941, Page 7

MOVES IN THE BALKANS

WARNING BY BRITISH MINISTER REMINDER OF MUSSOLINI’S GREAT MISTAKE OPINION IN AMERICA —ANGLO-TURKISH OPPOSITION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 6, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, March 5 Interviewed in Sofia, Mr G. Rendel, British Minister, said: “M. Filoff, the Prime Minister, seemed unduly confident of an Axis victory. I reminded him that Mussolini was confident and had suffered severely as a result. I told him that others might suffer.” • A Belgrade message states that the British Consulate has advised Britons not doing urgent business to quit Yugoslavia. Women of the Consulate and Legation staffs and families are ready to leave. It is reported from Istanbul that 1700 Britons from Bulgaria are now in Turkey, en route to Palestine. In Athens Mr Anthony Eden and Sir John Dill have concluded their talks with the Prime Minister WASHINGTON, March 5 In informed diplomatic circles in Washington Germany’s penetration of Bulgaria and probable forthcoming penetration of Yugoslavia are not envisaged as pointing to a wide-scale German offensive against valuable British possessions in the Near East, but rather as an effort to salvage Italy’s position in Albania. The German penetration is also seen as an effort to prevent the creation by Britain of a land front in Europe from which to attack Germany. Turkey may invite Britain to send a fleet to the Black Sea to bombard German-occupied Rumanian and Bulgarian ports. Germany would find it an impossible task to cross Asiatic Turkey to Iraq in lace of Turkish opposition, supported by British naval and air power.