14 FEBRUARY 1941, Page 1

Movement in the Balkans

The action of the British Government in instructing its Minister in Rumania to ask for hii passports was an inevitable consequence of the menacing attitude which Germany has been enabled to take up in that country. Rumania may be nomin- ally neutral, but she is completely dominated by Germany, and her territory is being used for hostile measures directed clearly against our Greek and Turkish Allies. A powerful invasion army is massed on the Danube, ready at any moment to cross into Bulgaria, across whose country it purposes to march into Macedonia or Thrace. King Boris and his Prime Minister, Professor Filoff, have up to now endeavoured to stand by the principle of neutrality, but they have not taken the only' step which could, have proved effective, namely the arrival at a clear understanding with Turkey and Greece. Mr. Churchill warned Bulgaria in unmistakable terms in his broadcast last Sunday of the danger of refusing to stand in with her neighbours and of making the disastrous mistake which she made in the last war. Now Germany is threatening to devour Bulgaria as she has already devoured Rumania. How far she is already con- trolling the country is not clear. The report of " t,000 German aeroplanes in Bulgaria " should be read in the light of the fact that Bulgaria possesses, or did recently, precisely five aerodromes.