THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 3, 1940
Balkan Entente Powers And The Belligerents
ITALY'S PART IN FORMULATING COMMON POLICY
London, To-day. COMMENTING ON THE Balkan Entente confer- ence, both "The Times" and the "Daily Tele- graph" agree that much of the time is likely to be taken up with discussing a common policy to- wards the belligerents.
The newspapers agree that in any case the confer-
SWEDEN
BUYING U.S. FIGHTERS
Washington, Tò-day.
It is officially disclosed here that Sweden has virtually com. pleted negotiations for the pur- chase of 144 new model Vultee pursuit planes from the United States.
Cost of the planes, with spare equipment, in about $10,000,000. -Router.
ence is bound to have a good effect on drawing BRITISH the Balkan powers more closely together and FIGHTERS
that this will create a strong barrier against
Nazi threats to Balkan independence.-Reuter. AID
AID FINNS
Belgrade, To-day.
The conference of the LABOURITES
Balkan Entente Powers
Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia LEAVE
opened here
and Rumania yesterday morning.
M. Gafencu, the Rumanian Foreign Minister, took the chair, the other members to the conference being M. Sarafoglu (Turkish Foreign Minister), M. Markovitch (Yugoslavian Foreign Minister) and General Metaxas (the Greek Prime Minister).
The first business on the agen da was the passing of a resolu. tion that the Balkan Entente be continued.
to
FINLAND
HELSINKI, TO-DAY.
Stockholm, To-day. British fighter planes are now among those operating with the Finnish air force, and a number of Soviet bomb- ers recently destroyed were brought down by British
GERMAN
SINKINGS CLAIMS
London, To-day.
Two more steamer sinkings are announced by the Ger- man radio.
The 6,000-ton British shin Oregon was torpedoed 140 miles off Coruna, and the Swedish 2,000-ton steamer Fram was sunk after an explosion off the British coast.
Nineteen of the Fram's crew are stated to be missing.
No reference is made to the fate of the Oregon's crew. Reuter.
"OREGON" REPORT UNTRUE
London, Later.
It is learned from authoritative quarters in London that there is no truth in the German claim that the British ship Oregon has been sunk.......... Reuter.
KING'S RECOVERY
London, To-day.
THE BRITISH LABOUR DELEGA-fighters piloted by Finnish
His Majesty the King, who has al- TION HEADED BY SIR WALTER airmen.
most completely recovered from his CITRINE, WHICH HAS BEEN VISIT- Some of the fighters now in Fin- | cold, received a number of visitors at ING FINLAND, LEFT YESTERDAY land were originally destined for Buckingham Palace yesterday. FOR STOCKHOLM AND COPEN- South Africa but were released for Among them was Captain C. H. L. HAGEN TO ATTEND THE CONFER- service with the Finnish air force by Woodhouse, of H.M.S. Ajax, which he ENCE OF SCANDINAVIAN LABOUR | General Smuts, the Dominion Premier. commanded in the River Plate Battle LEADERS.
The recent Finnish raids on Kron-which ended in the scuttling of the
Graf Spee.
Great interest is being attached
Sir Walter Citrine in an interview stadt and elsewhere were not, it is the position of Bulgaria, which is not said they were returning to England understood, carried out by machines a member of the Entente. The im-with the intention of urging the Gov-released by South Africa, which were pression is, however, that Bulgaria is ernment to accord Finland the fullest fighters and not bombers.---Reuter, anxious to co-operate with the En-help.
tente and this is confirmed by the Tur- He added that the unity of Finland kish and Greek delegates.-Reuter. was exemplary.
Italy's Part In Better Atmosphere
Geneva, To-day. Thanks to the moderation of Hung- ary and Bulgaria in connexion with their territorial revisionist claims the diplomatic position in the Balkans and Turkey has greatly improved since September, it is considered here, : Credit for this improvement is wide- ly attributed to Italy, whose interest in the Balkans has greatly increased since her acquisition of Albania,
Bulgaria's claims to the South Dobrudja (Rumania) are bellevod to have been "adjourned” unt!! the end of the war.
"IN TIME"
Bulgaria's relations with Yugo- Slavia, Turkey and Greece are friend- ty, and Bulgaria hopes that her claims to the Dobrudja as well as an outlet to the Aegean, will meet a peaceful solution in time. ·
་་
between
The Venice meeting Count Clano and Count Csaky, the Italian and Hungarian Foreign Minilatera, la stated also to have olarified thé, situation,
It is now known that Hungary will not go to war for the recovery of Transylvania from Rumania, which question has also been "adjourned."
VÍTALIAN DIPLOMACY
The principle of Italian diplomser has been to persuade Hungary" rând Bulgaria to await a new Zu bettlement. Italy is reported to promised to support the Elaims both.
PROTRACTED TALKS
་
Mr. Philip Noel-Baker M.P. ex- pressed respect for the Finnish sol- diers, who man for man were im- mensely superior to the Russians.- Reuter.
IN THE "GAZETTE”
The following official appointments, etc. are announced:-
Lieut. G. P. Ferguson to be an Hon- orary A.D.C.
Dr. N. C. MacLeod to be a Member of the Nutrition Research Committee. Mr. C. Champkin has relinquished his appointment as Chief Air Rald Warden.
Mr. Li Tse-fong to be a Member of
The King bestowed on him the Com- mander of the Order of the Bath, for gallantry in action.-Reuter.
GERMANY ANXIOUS TO AVOID SPREAD OF WAR TO BALKANS
AMSTERDAM, TO-DAY.
THE WILHELMSTRASSE IS AWAITING WITH IN- TENSE INTEREST THE OUTCOME OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE BALKAN ENTENTE, WHICH OPENED IN BELGRADE YESTERDAY, ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM BERLIN.
the Board of Education for a further The Nazi spokesman stated yesterday that a war in the
period.
Monsieur L. O. F. Reynaud is recog- nized as Consul-General for France at H.K.
Balkans, however it might result, would disorganise for months, and perhaps years, deliveries of goods of all kinds which Germany so badly needs. It is for this reason, according to neutral correspondents in Berlin, that the Wilhelmstrasse has been watching The Italian newspaper states that with a certain uneasiness the insistent press that M. Gafencu (Rumania), General Me- demands in the Italian taxas (Greece), M. Sarajoglu (Tur-Rumania should adopt a conciliatory key) and M. Cincar-Marcovitch attitude towards the territorial claims (Yugo-Slavis) were present.
of Hungary and Bulgaria.
ference in Belgrade is given in Rome by the "Giornale d'Italia.”
The meeting was expected to last less than an hour but was so pro- tracted that a later programme consultations was postponed until the
afternoon..
Meanwhile, an account of the first sta meeting of the Balken Entente con-
ter.
of
The Berlin correspondent of the "Amsterdam- Telegraaf" writes that in the Wilhelmstrasse, it is stated that although the domande of Hungary and Bulgaria... muat eventually be Investigated they must be left in abeyanga for the duration of the present European
the-war.
BULGARIAN POSITION:
Regarding Bulgaria's position, wspaper- learns that Bulgaria will her neutrality but will not her national claims, although to collaborate with all
will not join the
til all the .com
South-East
A political conflict in Europe, it is argued, might very well lead to new hostilities which could not be localised.
MITALY'S INTENTION
in
real
to solve all outs] There is moreover some anxiety famong them----Reu- Nazi political circles over Ita
Intentions In the Ball
Little or nothing has leaked out regarding the recent meeting be.. tween Count Clano and Count Ceaky, the Italian and Hungarian Foreign Ministers.
What is known is that Italy is firmly resolved to resist an attempt by Stalin to spread Bolshevism beyond the borders of the Soviet Union.
'Her close relations with the Boviet naturally prevent Germany from tak. ing, at any rate openly, the same at- titude as her Axla partner-Reuter.
SHARP ADVANCE IN HOME RAILS SHARES
London; To-day. Home rails recorded a sharp advance on the Stock Exchange yesterday on news of an early announcement compensation terms.
~! Gilt-édged securities while other actions were
quiet owing to week-end tions.
Wall Street was steady.