Evening star., 1941-03-31
Disaffection Signs
Rise in Nazi-HeId
Bulgaria, Rumania
Hitler Declared Unable
To Go Further Without
Explosion in Balkans
By GEORGE WELLER,


ATHENS, March 31-With Ger
many's Army, occupying Hungary, |.
Rumania and Bulgaria, now facing
ranks of Yugoslav bayonetS, and with /
Greek and British military and dip
lomatic enterprisers in an optimistic /
frame of mind, the question of the /
hour is whether Adolf Hitler will
dare another thrust to the southeast. |
The old "drang mach osten"
(thrust to the easD has again fallen
on evil days. Though it is premature
to bury the ghost, it is apparent from
Ankara to Rome that it cannot push
farther without explosive, perhaps
disastrous, effects.
Signs of disaffection are emerging
from mutilated and misshapen Ru-
mania, where Premier Gen. Ion An
tonescu has been forced for the first
time to give an attentive ear to Ru-
manians demanding the return of
the TranSylvanian territory lost
through the axis-regulated treaty
of Vienna
The movement against axis re-
wisconsin cannot be stifled indefi-
nitely, as long as Yugoslavia's young
King Peter stands on the Balkan
horizon as a symbol of the future.
Bulgarian Unrest Grows.
Unrest in Bulgaria is growing and
emerging from the censorship, with
less than a month elapsed since the
invasion, effected through cabinet
collusion with the military. With
the Yugoslav example not ignorable,
Bulgarian politicians are now forced
to ask themselves whether the gen.
erals and police were right in
stabling the Trojan horse.
Although the pattern for active
resistance is still unprovided, even
by Bulgarias strong Communist
party, it is evident that Bulgaria's
Premier Bogdan Philoff, like Ru-
mania's Gen. AntoneScu, when
glancing southwark must endure re-
proachful afterthoughts.
Capitalization in politics as well
as economics gives the Balkans what
has been described as impotence
at the extremities and apoplexy at
the center" Berlin, as the center
of the Balkans, is preceptibly losing
power and the prospect of a visit
to BerchteSgaden can be endured
by Balkan statesmen with inverse
fortitude derived from the fate of
Yugoslavias Premier Dragisa Cveto-
vic. ousted in last weeks revolt.
Naturally it is difficult for OBJ
servers following developments TO
break their habits of presuming
that the initiative belongs to Adolf
Hitler. But the public is gradually
accustoming itself to change and
emerging from the fear neurosis
which has paralyzed inwardly every
Balkan people but the Greeks for
at least short periods.
Paradoxical Situation.
Germany's political army, it is
recognized. was never supposed to
fight where aims could be gained
psychologically. Strategic objects
were purposely kept latent for maxi
mum nervous effect.
The common sense of the Greek
policy of ignoring threat, now be-
comes generally admitted. A para
doXical situation still exists where
by Greece. like Yugoslavia and
Turkey, still has full diplomatic
representation in Germany and the
only fiat severance of relations has
been between Britain and Rumania
and Bulgaria, where three pro-
British Balkan friends are still fully
represented.
AS usual the alternative of peace
or war remains outside the hands
of the small powers. While pleased
with Yugoslavias act Of independ- /
ence, and Bulgaria's restiveness |
under an occupation for which |
pSychologically it was only half |.
prepared, few observers believe that I
war can still be avoided through
terms of peace are still underlined !
Yugoslavia's revolution is recog-
nized as an expression of national
integrity rather than a declaration !
of war. 1t is the Yugoslav echo to |
the Greek word DIX meaning
mo-" which, with barred rife, many
Greeks are now wearing from the
lapel button. For the moment the
Yugoslav no" is enough to satisfy
the British and Turkish leaders.
(Copyright, 1941, by Chicago Daily NevsD