Hotel Balkania

Panic swept through the satellite kingdoms of the Balkans like fire through an old-fashioned country hotel. Dimly in the smoke and confusion the watchers saw frantic Fascists rushing from window to window, seeking escape. In the Bulgarian wing the flames licked highest. In the Hungarian part there seemed still time; people were debating what to take with them, seizing the customary irrelevant knickknacks. The Rumanian section looked hopeless. Outside stood armed Germans, determined that none should save himself at the Fuehrer's expense. Crouched silently among the Germans were tin Greeks, the Albanians, the anti-Axis Yugoslavs, fingering concealed weapons. Beyond the ring stood alert, main-chance Turks, wondering when the day for taking sides (TIME, July 12) would come.

Amid a welter of rumors and reports these seemed significant:

> Bulgaria's King Boris stormed at his docile Premier Bogdan Filoff that the Premier's policy had "led the country and dynasty toward catastrophe." Archeologist Filoff seemed an improbable candidate for the blame.

> The Italian Duke of Aosta, propped up by Mussolini as King Tomislav of Fascist Croatia, handed his resignation to Axis-controlled Ante Pavelich. The Duke had never visited his kingdom.

> Hungarian peace feelers turned up in many neutral capitals, generally coupled with inquiries as to how much of the territory snitched from Rumania, Yugoslavia and Czecho-Slovakia she might look forward to retaining. One feeler was reported to have offered the Yugoslav Government in Exile the return of all former Yugoslav territory. It was ignored.

> Emerging from a long silence, the disbanded political parties of Rumania addressed King Mihai: Rumania is on the threshold of collapse, they said; Dictator Ion Antonescu is responsible. His policy lost us independence and the sacred soil of Transylvania.

Throughout the Balkans were reports of tracks torn up, bridges destroyed, street rioting and Partisan vengeance. The peasants, sensing a bad winter, hid their crops from the prying eyes of Axis collectors.

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