South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-06-29
)EMARKATION LINE
SEPARATES STAYS
AND AUSTRIANS
$4,000 People Are Waiting
For New Sovereign to be
Established.
KLAcExFURT. Austria. June IS.


KLAGESFURT. Austria. June IS.
Along the center or the beautiful
valley in which this old capital OF
Carinthia lies. runs the demarka-
tiOn lire separating zone and zone
= OF the Austro-South Slav plebis-
cite region. It's population % some
10000 are still waiting 10 know
10 what government they shall be-
long. whether they are 10 be part
OF Austria or subjects OF the king
8 dom OF the Serbs, Croats and SLOW
enes.
The treat OF st. German provides
that within three months OF the final
ratification OF peace the ballot
shall be held and Il * believed here
that the plebiscite will take place in
August
Troops Move.
Meanwhile. JugO-Slav troops. who
moved north last May. hold the
south side Of the demarkation line
between the two zones as tightly as
war time frontier. They stand
guard within rife shot of Klagen-
furt and I'm only exceptional cases
can the line be passed by the inhab-
ilants OF the valley.
Several persons have been killed
bv serb guards One was the ma
turalized American citizen. Ernest
Jaklitsch IF Jackson. Kans. shot
dead. the AustTians claim. without
challenge while passing the frontier.
The JugO-Slav authorities say he was
a notorious smuggler.
Fifteen-year- Betty Eide, shot
by a South Slav guard while cross
ing the little stream that indicates
the frontier. vas buried with great
ceremony by the city Of klagenfurt.
seek Relief.
Citizens of the villages and towns
along the zone have petitiOned the
Vienna government 10 seek relief
through the entente from the alleged
oppression OF the JugO-Slav soidiery
and authorities. The following is
an extract from a letter addressed
70 a corresI ondent reciting the kill
ings mentioned and certain other
specific attacks on citizens.
From the vicinity of Iavamund
and Ruben are recently reported
numerous cases Of violation Of girls
and women by Siberian soldiers. The
peaceful population of voting dis
trict a is constantly exposed TO all
~kinds OF veXations. Crimes Of every
description are committed daily and
those who live near the frontier are
risl:ing their lives every hour"
IL Is difficult even By the person
al investiga ton just concluded TO
establish the truth Of the charges
freely made by the Austrian authort-
ties, but that the inhabitants of the
zones are having a rough time OF II
is easily apparent The JugG-Slav
occupation OF the whole of zone A,
on the south. with the rigidly closed
frontier works great hardship
Passing east and west through the
fertile basin Of klagenfurt, and
bisecting Literally Lake WOrther on
whose eastern tip the city lies, it
cuts farms in two, often separating
farm house from its nclds. leaving
OTHERS with their woodland on the
other side. and as the Jugo-Slav au-
thorities grant permits TO pass only
IN certain cases, much hardship has
resulted.
Sacrifice Stock
Farmers with stock on the other
side have been compelled 10 kill or
sacrifice. and IN several instances
the correspondent was shown piled
frewood across the line. sometimes
= but a few hundred yards from, the
house, which the owner was not
permitted TO bring home.
No food can cross 20 the north. ! I
is all diverted 10 Laibach and other
Siav cities. Thus while milk from
COWS that pasture within sight OF
klagenfurt goes 10 Laibach, the
American relief is feeding the city's
children with milk shipped from
America They have just been re
0uested 10 try and feed an additional
thousand.
The JuCo- Slav authorities I'm this
region deny that permits are refused
To land owners or others who have
legitimate business TO cross the line.
They admit the complete embargo
on food. but claim they exclude only
political agitators and propagandists.
They meet the Austrian charges with
counter charges OF the same Char-
actcr and point 20 the fact that
through the intervention OF the en-
tente mission here, composed OF
british, French and italians. all bur
about ! 200 OF the refugees who fed
north when the JuEo-Slav troops
moved in have been permitted 90 re-
turn 20 their homes. Also they al
lege that among them are hundreds
II 4gitators and eleCtiOneers well
supplied with money, who arc abus-
ing their privilege in PROSECUTING the
population against the impending
vote. Then too they charge that the
Austrian officials refuse passage 10
persons Of SIav sympathy. They
10 not. however. accuse the Austrian
guards Of killing.
Austrian Figures.
Austrian figures place the popu-
lation OF zone A. tho southern reg
ion, at p 900 Germans and 5000
SoIvenes and zone y al $4,000 Ger
mans and 5000 Slovenes. The Jugo-
Slavs DO not admit this. claiming