Evening star., 1940-05-17
Balkans Apprehensive
As Nazis Menace
Rich Oil Fields
Bucharest Cancels Army
Leaves, With 1900, 900
Men Held Ready

Leaves, WIN ts0VVsVVV
Men Held Ready
By the Associated Press.
BUDAPEST, May 17.-Germany
was reported today to be massing
whole divisions of lightning troops
-mechanized and motorized forces
on the Slovak frontier of Hungary
and pointed at Rumania 140 miles
away.
Unconfirmed advices from Vienna,
credited indirectly to German Army
officers there, said all but the date
had been set for lightning march
through Hungary.
The reports plunged the Balkans
into new fear. Military observers
expressed belief that Germany
might strike into the Rumanian oil
fields to keep her war machine in
the west from running out of gas.
(The British Broadcasting
Corp. announced that Rumania
had decided to cancel army
leaves. Rumania is credited with
and holds a guarantee of British
French aid if she has to fight for
her independence)
Rumania Conserves OH.
The Rumanian government de-
creed, meanwhile, that all oil COM
panies must sell and store in their
own reservoirs whatever quantity of
petroleum products the army needs
for possible wartime use.
The army's estimate Of its posi-
BILE requirements was not made
public, but private sources said as
much as 100000 tons might be
purchased.
The decree applied to all pro-
ducers, refiners and retailers whether
Of foreign or Rumanian ownership.
Observers regarded the measure
as a new obstacle for Germany in
her strenuous efforts to obtain a
promised quota of 10000 tons
monthly, which is less than half
filled so far in 1910.
Anti-aircraft searchlights played
over Bucharest last night and new
sirens were tested atop the Ru-
manian capitals tallest buildings.
Troops Mass in Slovakia.
A steady stream of troop trains
and columns of high-speed fighting
equipment, replete with artillery,
tanks, armored cars, field kitchens
and truck trains was reported, by
way of Bratislava, to be moving
into Eastern Slovakia.
Slovakia, which gained a measure
Of independence under German
military protection in the breakup
of Czecho-S -Slovakia, lies across the
narrow eastern point of Hungary
from Northwestern Rumania-the
Transylvania section (Which Hun
gary lost in the World War and
would like to get back)
Still otner German forces were re-
ported concentrated in the listers
dorf section, north of Vienna, at the
western tip Of Slovakia.
The movements in Eastern SlQ-
vakia were said to have started Mon
day, with Poprad chosen as tempo
rary headquarters.
Hundreds of Nazi warplanes were
said to be poised at Vienna and Slo-
wax airports, ready to render the
almost traditional "softening" ac-
ton of the "blitzkrieg" technique.
Two days before the reported troop
movement into Eastern Slovakia, oil
refineries in the Bohemia Moravia
protectorate (another part of dis
membered zecho-Slovakia) were
said to have been advised to transfer
all their stocks to warehouses and
to work night and day to meet an
urgent demand"
Barges Reported Armed.
For a week observers at Budapest
and elsewhere along the Danube
have noted an absence of German
barge traffic downriver from Vienna,
and some military quarters here said
the craft were being fitted to carry
heavy artillery, munitions and sup
plies toward Rumania.
German officers quartered in ho-
tells at Vienna, the capital Of old
Austria, we're reported to have told
foreigners that they had orders to
march through Hungary, but that
they had no idea when the jump
off would be ordered.
Military observers believed the
German columns could spear quickly
through Hungary when and if the
offensive is ordered. Apparently
they held this belief despite the still
undetermined attitude of Hungary
whether it is to be opposition or a
grant of easy right of way.
Military observers, pointing to the
fact that Rumanian oil deliveries to
Germany are now well over 1000 900
tons in arrears of the quota agreed
upon by the two countries, promptly
linked word of the German concen-
tration with what they held to be a
growing German need for the en-
CINE fuel and lubricants.
High Grade Gasoline Needed.
They said Germany's particular
need is high-grade gasoline-to
power the planes she has been using
by the thousands in the big drive to
the west through the Netherlands
and into Belgium and France.
These informants held it to be q
simple matter of arithmetic. The
basis of their figuring was that each
of Germany's planes burns an aver
age of Is gallons of gasoline each
hour Of every "a.
Not that Is gallons is sufficient to
sustain bomber or fighting plane
for an hour in the air-150 gallons
and go gallons, respectively, would
be closer to their hourly consump-
tion-but the consumption of the
average plane on an around-the-
clock basis would be Is gallons an
hour.
Thus the observers arrive at a
consumption of $50 gallons q day
for the average plane-more than