Budapest, Aug. 3.
While the first step for opening direct negotiations concerning Hungarian and Bulgarian claims on Rumania is expected from the Rumanian Government within a few days. Opinion is gaining ground in well-informed circles here that negotiations are likely to be long and dificult, Tt is felt that Germany's encouragement to the Bucharest Government to make its own arrangements with Hungary -Bulgaria means that quick decision is improbable.
After preliminary meetings of Foreign Ministers there are certain to be proposals and counter-proposals needing detailed discussion.
Budapest newspapers indignantly comment on Rumania's "manoeuvres" to escape concessions which are now believed here to be inevitable. It is thought no result should be expected before the middle of September at the earliest Meanwhile, continual' postponement of an offensive against Britain has provoked the realization that the war is likely to be much longer than was supposed and this is bound to affect the position in south-eastern Europe.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.