'The conclusion of a non-aggression agroement between Bulgaria and Turkey 1s of doubt ful signifeance in relation to the problems of Germany, Italy, Britain, and Greece, In Rome and Berlin the agreement is being' halled another triumph of Axis diplomacy. If that, is true, then it may well prove to be a triumph as ephemeral as mast of the pads engineered by the Axis; hailed today -as the mark of a new epoch, and torn up tomorrow as being a barrier to 'Hiller's "new order." Tt is comfort~ Ing to note that the agreement has' not dis. turbed official circles in London, to whom it surprise. While Bul-'Turkish oMicials were discussing this agreement, the Turkish and British Gene eral Staffs were in conference in Ankara, This golneldence cannot have been lost on the Nazi Though Berlin and Rome spokesmen may declare that they are pleased with the new agree. ment and that they consider it is a feather in their cap, they are doubtless: wondering what decisions were come to in the staff talks in Ankara, and whether Great Britain may not, atter all, be taking a leat out of their own book, and be preparing another unpleasant surprise, Tt is, however, too early to engage in more than guesswork in this connection. It is beyond doubt, however, that: since the beginning of this year, the Axis have been engaged in one of their sual diplomatic offensives in the: Balkans—offensives which have been greatly weakened by the defeats which have been suffered by Italy, the partner in the Axis which should have been most powerful in any moves that part of Europe. Axig emphasis on the uunimportance of the Italian defeats is in itself enough to prove that the Axis is seriously concerned over them. 'The part to be played by 'Yugoslavia inthe forthcoming moves in the, Balleans {9 as yet uncertain. Nazi. pressure has been directly brought to bear on Belgrade since the beginning of January' when. th 'Yugoslavian government dissolved the trad uunlons in response to Nazi demands. Though 'Yugoslavia is primarily an agricultural and therefore unvocal country, there has in recent years been a growth tu' industry which hi been accompanied by the formation of unions which were controlled by the government, and, therefore, did not have the same standing as trades unions In democratic countries, The trades unions nevertheless represented the more radical elements in the country, and were Subject to influence from Moscow. They, the majority of Yugoslavians, were opposed to Nazism and, "if anything, were inclined to favour Soviet Russia. The sympathies of the Yugoslavians have been traditionally with Russia, the champion of the. Slav peoples, and ig tendency of the trades unions might, there fore, have been a serious stumbling block to Nazi plans in. the country..had the, trades unions been permitted to exist, It can, therefore, the taken og a measure of Nazi power in the Balkang that they were able to force the Belgrade government, which dislikes Naxt princlples and fears Nazi force, to order the unions fo" be dissolved. Tt may also be a pointer, to Soviet weakness—or gulle—that Russia had nothing 10 say when the unions were dissolved: The points of view of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia are different in every respect except one; that either nation can stand up successfully for any Jength of time against the full might of Germany, In other respects they are radically opposed. Yugoslavia benefitted from the victory of the Allies in the last war; Bulgaria was Gofeated and suffered the results of defeat, In Attempting. to estimate the reactions of either ation today, however, the former consideration is the more important—the Nazis are extremely strong:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.