Evening star., 1941-02-18
BY the Associated rresS.

BY the Associated rress.
SOFIA, Bulgaria, Feb. 18.-Ger-
many. armed with what observers
INTERPRETED as virtual promise by
Turkey to stay within her own from
tiers in the event Nazi troops march
through Bulgaria, was reported II
Informed diplomatic quarters today
to have taken steps to convince
Greece it would be wise to make
quick peace with Italy.
Such a peace, these circles lndl-
Gated. would have to be on Premier
Mussolinis terms.
In Bitolj, Yugoslavia, 1t was
reported high-fying scout ana
reconnaissance planes, 'poSltlVely
identified as German, have been
f1ving over Greek Macedonia In
recent days, provoking fears that
an invasion by Nazi forces is I'M
minent. The planes were said TO
appear each day along the Bull
garian frontier, causing as many
as three air raid alarms daily IN
Greek towns. One is reported to
have flown south of Athens.
Greek military observers say
the planes come from the dlrec-
ton of Bulgaria.
Uniformed sources said the sit
uation parallels that before lta!y
invaded Greece. At that time II
Duce's planes daily violated
Greek territory0
It was reported here the German
Minister to Athens told Greek lead
ers after the announcement OF the
new Turkish Bulgarian non-aggres-
sion pact yesterday that Greece is
open to attack through Bulgaria.
He was understood to have MADE
rlear that the Reich would prefer
to see Greece and Italy settle their
fight quickly around a peace table
Greek Acceptance Seen.
The implication was understood
20 be that if Greece failed to COM
nlv. Adolf Hitler's Balkan army
would start rolling southwark from
its bases in Rumania, crossing
Bulgaria and entering Eastern
Thrace, so that the Greeks could
not continue their battle in Albania.
Many diplomats here said they
felt announcement of the pact
might lessen the possibility that the
Germans actually would move
through Bulgaria. They said they
believed the Greeks probably would
accept axis terms for a peace, now
that hope of aid from Turkey has
dwindled. rather than face the
armies of both Italy and Germany.
The authoritative Sofia news
paOer Fora said Germany and
Soviet Russia had agreed on the
Bulgarian Turkish pact as means
of preventing the spread OF war in
the Eastern Balkans.
Some British quarters said Lon
den had been informed by Turkey
before the pact was announced.
Other sources close to the British
and Turkish governments indicated
London did not learn Of the agree
ment until yesterday.
On London British said they
had given their blessing to the
negotiationsD
Troops to Be Withdrawn.
British Minister George Rendel
declared Britain had mo intention
whatever of tP'.ing any initiative
loodino to violation Of Bulgarian
neutrality or dragging Bulgaria into
war
L was reported here that Bulgaria
erd Turkey would start today with
draWal of troops massed along their
common frontier
More than 100000 Turkish soldiers
have been concentrated in recent
weeks in European Turkey, across
from Bulgaria, and Bulgaria recent
" reinforced her frontier with the
1st Army Corps from Sofia.
Reports that Bulgaria and Yugo-
slavia might sign an accord SIM
liar to the Bulgarian-TurkiSh
agreement were discounted here. 1t
was pointed out the two Slav ma
tions already have treaty of per
petual" friendship and non-aggres-
sion.
Reports here indicated Hitler was
assured at his meeting last week
with Yugoslav leaders that Yugo-
(See BALKANS, Page A-4)