1 SEPTEMBER 1939, Page 3

Hungary and Rumania Both Hungary and Rumania have recently given

evidence of their strong desire to maintain an attitude of neutrality in a European conflict, as the best means of preserving their independence ; in both countries that desire is modified, in Hungary by the hope, in Rumania by the fear, of territorial revision. Rumania's neutrality would not extend so far as to pc rmit the cession of territory ; and Hungary's interest in peace is not strong enough to persuade her to surrender her hopes of satisfying, together with Bulgaria, her revisionist claims on Rumania. Thus last week she refused the offer of a non-aggression pact with Rumania, and declared that before it could be accepted Rumania must withdraw the too.000 troops at present on manoeuvres on the Hungarian frontier. Hungary's neutrality can in any case not fail to be benevolent towards Germany ; and formally at least Rumania might wish to preserve a similar attitude. But she has already shown that Germany's difficulties in effecting payments are an obstacle to the export of supplies ; and Germany will hesitate to obtain those supplies by force since an invasion of Rumania would almost certainly be followed, as in the Great War, by sabotage of the oil-wells.