Mar, 22.
Official Rumanian quarters ca! gorically denied today that the German Legation had handed demands tantamount to an ultimatum to the Rumanian Government. Rumours of such an ultitiatum were ¢irculated by b German propaganda agents on the occasion of the first meetings held yesterday and today by Dr. Karl Clodius, German economic expert, with Rumanian authorities, it was stated.
The actual German-Rumanian situation is far different from that indicated by the reports on the alleged ultimatum. Dr. Clodius in fact found the situation hardly favourable to Germany and had to adopt a "diplomatic" attitude, political observers declared. He no doubt saw clearly that Britain and France have not been inactive in Rumania since the outbreak of the war, they added.
The German trade delegation now in Bucharest wishes to initiate study of the problem of extending to Bohemia and Moravia the system of payments now in force between the Reich proper and Rumania, trade quarters disclosed.
Clodius and his aides also wish to study in what measure a new Rumanian foreign trade policy can influence the German-Rumanian pay-The Hec! it was pointed out, would like a re-evaluation of the Reichsmark and Czech crown on the Rumanian lei market.
Allies Do More Trade nu 5 Lid Since the Danube River was frozen over, only about half the contracted quantities of oil was actually exported to Germany during ihe past quarter. Lack of transport facilities permitted the export of only 385,000 tons as against the 540,000 tons provided for.
Ta the same period, the Allies received 605,000 tons of oil.
The remainder, totalling 390,000 tons, was to Turkey, Greece and Yugoslavia, who bought larger quantities than usual, and a quantity was reserved for Italy.
Germany also was to receive large stocks of Rumanian cereals during the past several months, but a high ith proportion of these stocks remained tied up along the lower Danube when shipping was interrupted by winter ice. These cereals are still stored along the Danube, awaiting transportation, Germany has already taken up have worked "re We shall crush them. (Applause.)
(Continued om page 10, col. 1) forthcoming until after the autumn harvest. She can hope for quota increases only in lumber and cattle.—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.