Evening star., 1944-03-22
|GernansStepUp
Occupation Of
Balkan States
Strategic Centers in
Bulgaria and Rumonio
Reported Seized
BY the Associated Pres.


Hungary. were reported moving
today to extend full military oc-
cupation to Bulgaria and Ru-
mania, and the Turkish radio
expressed the view Hitler soor
would place all three countries
under one command "to inten-
sify the German war effort ir
Southeast Europe"
Advices from neutral capitals in.
dicated the Nazi divisions were
seizing strategic military and civi
administration centers with all tht
speed and ruthlessness that char.
acterized German troop movements
at the start of the war.
Except for minor cases of resist
ance the occupying forces appar.
emily were having things all their
own way.
Bulgarian Cabinet Meets.
The Bulgarian Cabinet was said
by the Ankara radio to have met in
prolonged session yesterday to dis
cuss German demands for active
help in. the Nazi war against Rus
sia. Bulgaria, at war with Britain
and the United States, never has
interrupted relations with Russia
long her friend and champion.
London morning newspapers pub
lished Ankara dispatches saying 1t
was reported there that Premie,
Ion Antonescu of Rumania Was
planning to seek an armistice with
Russia. whose troops already are
surging deeply into Bessarabia
Rumania was believed ready to re-
nounce all claim to Bessarabia as
one of the armistice conditions,
these dispatches said.
A flood of reports about the sit
uation in Hungary agreed on one
point only - that 100000 German
troops now completely dominate the
country with full control of all rail-
ways and communications. There
were indications the Nazis were at
tempting to set up a Quisling regime
in Budapest.
Further Steps Hinted.
Berlin itself remained silent about
what is proposed in the Balkans
although Foreign Office spokesman
indirectly intimated military occu-
patton of the entire area might be
proposed.
Before present political develop
ments aimed at strengthening Ger
man defense forces there have been
concluded no German statement
may be expected" he said, adding
"Germany's allies must now assume
burdens equal to those borne by
Germany"
AS in the case of Hungary, swiftly
occupied in 36-hour coup early in
the week, information about the sit
uatlon in Rumania and Bulgaria was
confused.
The London Daily Mail said it was
believed in Ankara that occupation
OF Rumania was imminent, if not
actually in progress, and quoted un-
confirmed reports that four Ger
man motorized divisions and several
divisions of infantry were advancing
toward Bucharest.
All Under One Command.
An Ankara broadcast included
both Rumania and Bulgaria within
proposed German occupation area
along with Hungary, with all three
to be placed under command of one
German commander in chief. The
Ankara radio also said the Germans
had seized control of Bulgarian
postal and telegraph Offices.
"a Stockholm report relayed
by the British radio and heard
by CHS in New York said Mar
shal Tito, Yugoslav Partisan
leader. already was in contact
with the opposition in Hun
gary and is organizing Partisan
groups there" to resist the Nazi
forceS.)
Hungarian sources in Stockholm
expressed the belief that a secre
organization known as the Ragged
Guards" would begin operating
shortly against the Germans as
guerrilla army.