The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-27
zone Lines
CAUSE TROUBLE
JUGo-SLAVS AND SERBS GUARD
LANDMARKS RIGIDLY" EVEN
fTHoUGH THEY DIVIDE ONES
PREMISES.

Klagenfurt, Austria, June 25.-Along
the center of the beautiful valley in
which this old capital Of Carinthia lies,
runs the demarkation line separating
Zone A and Zone b of the Austro-
South Slav plebiscite region. Its pop
ulation of some $4,000 are still wait
ing to know to what government they
shall belong, whether they are to be
part of Austria or subjects Of the
Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes.
The Treaty of st. German provides
that within three months of the final
of peace the ballot shall
be held and it is believed here that
the piebiscite will take place in Au-
gust.
Meanwhile, Jugo-Slav troops, who
moved north last May. hold the south
side of the demarkation line between
the two zones as tightly as a war time
frontier. They stand guard within
rifle shot of Klagenfurt and in only
exceptional cases can the line be
passed by the inhabitants of the val
ley.
Several persons have been killed by
Serb guards. One was the naturalized
American citizen Ernest Jaklitsch, of
Jackson, who was shot dead, the Aus
TRANS claim, without challenge while
passing the frontier. The Jugo-Slav
authorities say he was a notorious
Fifteen-year- old Betty Eide, shot by
a South Slav guard while crossing the
little stream that indicates the from
tier, was buried with great ceremony
by the city of Klagenfurt.
Citizens of the villages and towns
along the zone have petitioned the
Vienna government to seek relief
through the Entente from the alleged
oppression of the Jugo-Slav soldiery
and authorities. The following is an
extract from a letter addressed to the
correspondent of the Associated Press
reciting the killings mentioned and
certain other specific attacks on citi-
zens:
from the vicinity Of Lavamund and
Ruben are recently reported numerous
cases of violation of girls and women
by Serbian soldiers. The peaceful
population of voting district A is con-
exposed to all kinds of vexa-
lions. Crimes of every description are
committed daily and those who live
near the frontier are risking their lives
every hour"
1t is difficult even by the personal
investigation just concluded to estab-
lish the truth of the charges freely
made~by the Austrian authorities. but
that the inhabitants of the zones are
having rough time of IT is easily APP
parent. The Jugo-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 bisect-
ing laterally Lake worther on whose
eastern tip the city lies, it cuts farms
in two. often separating farm house
from its fields, leaving other with their
on the other side, and as the
Jugo- Slav authorities grant permits to
pass only in certain cases. much hard
ship has resulted.
Farmers with stock on the other side
have been compelled to kill or sacri-
flee, and in several instances the cor
respondent was shown piled firewood
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 to the north. 1t
Is all QlNeTLeQ 10 LdlDdcn anu obntT
Slav cities. Thus while milk from
cows that pasture within sight Of Kla-
genfurt goes to Laibach, the American
Relief is. feeding the city's children
with milk shipped from America. They
have just been requested to try and
feed an additional thousand.
The Jugo-Slav authorities in this re-
gion deny that permits axe refused to
land owners or others who ASve legiti-
mate business to cross the Ene. They
admit the complete embargo on food,
but claim they exclude only political
agitatcrs and propagandists. They
meet the Austrian charges with coun-
ter charges of the same character and
point to the fact that through inter-
vention of the Entente Mission here.
composed Of British, French and Ital-
ians. all but about 1,200 Of the refugees
who fled north when the Jugo- Slavl
troops moved in have been permitted
to return to their homes. Also they