State of Mind

Never in the past 20 years had the Balkans been as Balkanic as they were last week. Nations were at each other's throats. Diplomats tried to double-double-cross each other, the Axis, and the Allies.

In the stream of reports and inspired propaganda, fact could not be distinguished from rumor. But fact and false hood alike reflected a state of mind which will make serious trouble for the Axis when the Allies invade the Continent.

Hungarian Deals. Some reports had Hungary defying the Germans but not quite breaking with them. The Germans are aware that Hungary is feeling out the possibilities of deals with the U.S. and Britain. Budapest papers played up Premier Nicholas Kallay's recent trip to Rome, where he conferred with Mussolini and was received at the Vatican. The same papers virtually ignored Regent Nicholas Horthy's recent conference with Hitler. Kallay further angered the Germans by dealing with the long-dormant but now reviving Social Democrats, and a new Socialist Peasant party. But paid pro-Germans are still strong in Hungary's Parliament: they tried to unseat Kallay a fortnight ago, succeeded in having Parliament adjourned.

Rumanian Paradox. Still clinging to the Germans is Rumania's Dictator Ion Antonescu. But the Rumanians' sickening losses in Russia have aroused violent opposition. Jails are crammed with 200,000 political prisoners.

The Germans have tried to play a double propaganda game, simultaneously fanning the Rumanians' fear of Russia and telling them that the U.S. and Britain intend to turn Rumania over to the Russians.

The Rumanians are also worried by their neighbors and territorial rivals, Hungary and Bulgaria. According to one report, Dictator Antonescu's nephew, Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Mihai Antonescu, recently threatened to resign with the entire Cabinet unless enough Rumanian troops were withdrawn from Russia to defend the Bulgarian frontier. Rumania has already lost part of Transylvania to Hungary.

Bulgarian Plots. Last week, London heard rumors that Turkey had declared war on: 1) Germany, 2) Bulgaria. All that happened was that the Turko-Bulgarian frontier was closed and the Turkish press suddenly began to denounce Bulgaria. The Turks suspect that Boris was trying to squirm out of his alliance with Hitler and butter up the Allies; the Bulgars fear that the Turks are preparing to grab off Thrace.

From several neutral sources in Europe came a story that the Germans were about ready to get rid of Boris (his father, Ferdinand I, abdicated in 1918, just after Bulgaria surrendered to the Allies). According to this account, Boris knew all about the plot and has allowed his police to protect the Communists who recently assassinated four prominent pro-Nazis in Sofia. The supporting facts: 1) although Boris' police made a great show of placing Sofia in a state of siege, and searched many houses, the assassins were not arrested; 2) the Bulgarian people have made it abundantly clear that they want no part of Hitler's war with Russia.

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