Evening star., 1940-12-28
Greece Reported Told
Reich Will Invade
Only as Reprisa|
Won't Aid ItoIy Unless
British Land Troops,
Budapest Sources Soy
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BUDAPEST, Hungary, Dec. 28.-
With the advance guard of a new
Naz expedition of 100000 troops
already rolling eastward across Hun
gary, authoritative sources reported
today that Germany plans to move
against Greece by way of Bulgaria
only if Britain tries to use Greece
as the starting point for an invasion
Of Central Europe.
Germany, these sources said, will
mot make any move to aid the
Italian forces now fighting the
Greeks in Albania if the British re-
frain from landing troops in Greece
Germany was understood by these
sources to have let it be known in
the Balkans that in the event of
italian collapse as the result of
Greek victory, the Nazis would hast
en- to make definite peace with
France.
1t was stated authoritatively that
Adolf Hitler had agreed to let Pre-
mier Mussolini attack Greece last
October only because he wished to
divert Italy's attention from beaten
France.
Reich Declared Embarrassed.
Germany was said to have been
considerably embarrassed by Italian
clamor for slices of French terri
tory when Hitler repeatedly wished
to give Marshal Henri Philippe Pc
tain, French chief of state, easy
terms so as to win the Vichy gov
ernment's full friendship.
The debacle in Albania, far from
disquieting Germany, has made
Italy keep quiet about demands in
France, these sources said.
They asserted that Hitler was
prepared to make full peace settle
ment with France, with only the
provinces of Alsace and Lorraine
changing hands, if Italy collapses,
- Marshal Petain was understood to
have told the Nazis that in case
the German terms were "unreason-
able" he would cut North Africa
loose, with Gen. Maxine Weygand
taking a large colonial army into
the ranks of Gen. Charles de
Gaulle's free French" forces, mov-
ing against Italian Libya from
Tunlsia in coordination with the
current British action from Egypt.
Troops Sent as Insurance.
Mass movements of German
troops and war materials to
Rumania, which, it is estimated BY
observers, will give the Nazis nearly
half a million men there by the end
OF January, were designed chiefly
as an insurance measure, it was
reported here.
Concentration of Nazi troops in
Southwestern Rumania was ex-
pected in some quarters to put great
pressure on Yugoslavia, possibly
aimed at forcing the Belgrade
government to accede to German
wishes.
These troop concentrations also
were said to be designed as a brake
on reported Soviet Russian designs
to occupy Moldavia and the mouths
OF the Danube, as we'll as giving
Turkey reason to think twice about
fulfilling her treaty with Britain or
increasing her help to Greece.
The Soviets were reported to have
moved 30 crack divisions into Bessa-
rabia on the Rumanian frontier.
Abdication Threatened.
1t was said authoritatively that
King Boris III of Bulgaria informed
Hitler during the monarchs recent
visit to Germany that he would alb
dicate rather than sanction the pas
sage of German troops across Bull
garia toward Greece or Turkey
Reports that the recent Hun
garian- -Yugoslav pact of eternal
friendship had angered Germany
we're discounted by authoritative
sources, which said the Hungarian
Premier and Foreign Minister OBJ
tanned Hitler's personal approval at
Vienna, when Hungary signed the
axis pact.
The heavy concentration of Nazi
forces in Rumania also was said to
be designed to cope with the ex-
pected forthcoming settlement be-
tween two rival factions of the Ru-
manian Iron Guard German troops
were reported to be ready to sup
press the expected disorder and
definitely take over the rule of Ru-
! mania.