Evening star., 1942-03-26
Hitler Tries 10 Get
10000 Balkan Men,
London Sources Say
British DipIomots See
Boomerang for Fuehrer
In Effort, However
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 26.-Nazi ma
chinations to get at least 10000 men
from the Axis Balkan junior part
ners to help fight HiGler's wars were
charged today by British diplomatic
sources. who gleefully predicted they
might prove boomerang.
Instead Of getting men, said these
informants with close continental
connections, Hitler may have to in
crease his own garrison in southeast
Europe to squelch an unsought war
situation aroused by distrust and re-
awakened old enmities stirred by his
recruiting efforts.
Frankly" said one observer, I'VE
are delighted with the situation"
British Turk Ties Cemented.
Furthermore, they declare Nazi
plans to overaWe Turkey with tales
of German Army masses on her
European frontier and actual Bull
garian troop concentrations there
have mot had the slightest effect on
the Turks" In fact, British-TurkiSh
relations recently have been cement
ed despite Hitler's efforts to weaken
them.
Bulgaria and Hungary are under
severe German pressure to provide
troops for an Axis spring offensive
against Soviet Russia, according to
this analysis.
King Boris OF Bulgaria, now the
Fuehrer's visitor, is said to have
been offered slice of Rumanian ter
ritory and postwar control of the
Dardanelles in return for the services
OF his army.
Bulgarian troops, however, would
be an unlikely choice for the Rus
sian front for two reasons, 1t was
pointed out-the Bulgars are Slavs
who feel a close racial kinship to
the Russians and the Communist
party is stronger in Bulgaria than in
any other Balkan state.
Hitler and Boris Confer.
Hitler and Boris were reported in
Switzerland last night to have talked
somewhere on the eastern front
concerning Bulgaria's role in future
Axis operations. Their conference
was described in Bern as staged with
growing Rumanian- Hungarian fric-
ton and intimations Of German
spring plans aimed at Turkey as
the backdrop.
British sources described jealousy
OF Hungary as the prime factor in
the Balkan situation. Except for q
token force on the eastern front,
Hungary has retained her army at
home and escaped being garrisoned
by a German occupying force
Now, however. Hitler needs the
Hungarian Army, probably the best
equipped and best-trained in the
Balkans. according to British in
formants, and is offering more Of
Pennsylvania - already partly re-
gained from Rumania-as bait.
Thus Rumania, which has suffered
heavy casualties in Russia, has
thousands Of her troops far from
home and has been drained Of her
oil output, emerges in the unenvi-
able position Of fall guy for Hitler,
the British say.
War Can Develop Swiftly.
This mixture Of national greed.
envy and ambition in the Balkans" !"
one well-posted Briton summed 1t
up, "has created a situation similar
to many others in Balkan history.
Whenever a large outside power be-
gins promising slices Of territory in
exchange for military collaboration.
the situation is one which can de-
velop into war very swiftly.
The Germans don't want war dn
the Balkans, of course. But prevent
ing war will be costly to Germany
this spring. She will have to send
more troops to the very countries
from which she hopes to draw troops
and, frankly, We are delighted with
the situation"
There was no disposition in these
or military sources to discount the
menace of any German move
through Turkey and along the SOUTH
ern shore of the Black Sea-which.
they expect, would be synchronized
with a spring attack on the southern
Russian front.
Both groups, however. said there
was no confirmation Of stories of
German troop concentrations in
Bulgaria. They called them tales
intended to force the Turks to mass
their army in Thrace, but said
Turkey gave no sign of falling for
German propaganda.
Franz Won Papen, German Am
bassador to Turkey. has arrived in
Berlin, a German broadcast today
said.