Evening star., 1941-04-04
Germany Reported
Pressing Hungary
To Act Against SIavs
Nozis Hope Belgrade
Can Yet Be Isolated
From Any Balkan War
By BLAIR BOLLES.

The German government is press
ing Hungary to mobilize her troops
on the Yuogoslavian border in the
hope that Yugoslavia can yet be iso-
lated from any war in the Balkans
and allow the Germans free hand
IN the development of the original
NaZ plan for campaign against
Greece from bases in Bulgaria, re-
sponsible quarters were informed
here today.
Berlin is making this demand
under the terms of the four-power
pact signed by Hungary last Novem-
Der 90, aligning the Budapest gov
ernment with Germany, Italy and
Japan. Hungary is understood to
have replied that the pact is not
military alliance and that for
Hungarian troops to march against
Yugoslavia would constitute
breach of the Budapest Belgrade
treaty of eternal friendship.
It is understood here that the
German demand was the chief con-
tributor to the suicide of Count
Teleki, the "tightrope" Premier,
who had tried to keep Hungary
from active enmity with England
through policy of partly acceding
to German requests. Hungary and
Great Britain maintain diplomatic
relations and are represented by
Ministers in each others capitals.
Nazi Troops on Border.
Although the original purpose of
Germany's invitation to Hungary
to join the German-Italian-Ja -Japa-
nese pact was only to provide a
pathway across Hungary for Ger
man soldiers to Rumania, Germany
during the last week has moved a
few divisions of Nazi troops into
the Southern Hungarian plain by
the Yugoslav border. This in itself
was a blow to Hungary's sense of
independence. A Hungarian mill
tary gesture in Germany's interest
would amount to full partnership
In the axis enterprise.
Count Teleh has become martyr
to Hungarian independence, but how
effective his suicide may be in stif-
fening Hungarian resistance to the
new axis demands depends, it was
said here, on the extent to which
the news of the true nature of his
going has been allowed by the Ger
mans to be spread through the Hun
garian newspapers. There is little
hope anywhere that Hungary would
be in a position to resist long any
German demand.
DR.. LaSzlo de BardoSSy, the new
Prime Minister, is career diplomat
who was Minister to Yugoslavia in
December, 1910, when the treaty of
friendship was signed with the
Bucharest government. He became
Foreign Minister on the death of
Count Stephen Csaky.
All Sides Cautious Now.
The whole Balkan setting now Is
the scene for delicate, cautious ma
neuvering. On the one hand the
Yugoslavs seek to determine how
extensive support the British could
give them If they turned their pres
ent resistance to the axis into an
actual military move.
On the other hand, Germany,
whose troop infiltrations into Bull
garia have been halted in view of
the Yugoslav attitude, wants above
everything Yugoslavia's inaction.
The use on the Yugoslav border
of a large portion of the Hungarian
Army, of about 100000 men, would
release the German troops now sta
toned there and permit resumption
of the German expeditionary force
in Bulgaria.
Under present circumstances the
German Army, scattered as it is
from North Cape to Brittany and
from the North Sea to the Pruth
River. cannot be concentrated in
sufficient strength in Bulgaria to
attain the Nazi aim-convince Yu-
goslavia Of the futility of military
opposition to Germany so long as