Evening star., 1941-03-26

DtitlU- OhtO uIlS yesterday, SlqH-
ing in Vienna German success
IN forcing YugoSlduid to adhere
TO the pact tUas the latest euent
OF the Ndzt Balkan diplomatic
and military campaign Uhich hos
included the occupation of Bull
CARA and the sending OF troops
to the Greek border.
Bv Re associated Press.
BELGRADE. Yugoslavia. March
26,-Rioting broke out in the
center OF Belgrade at noon today
in protest against Yugoslavia s
alliance with the axis powers.
Police and soldiers armed to the
teeth rushed to the scene and quelled
the outbreak. which occurred a short
time after Premier Dragisha Cvet-
kOvlch returned from Vienna. where
he signed the axis pact yesterday.
Many persons were arrested befors
police halted the fighting. which
started when axis sympathizers at
tackled a parade of students bearing
British and American flags.
The paraders already had marched
through the business district. singing
patriotic songs
The students were mostly from
secondary schools and formed the
procession on their way home from
lunch.
Authorities apparently were pre-
pared TO meet any situation Police
and soldiers iammed courtyards
throughout the city, ready to cope
with any demonstrators who threat
ened TO get out of hand.
Cvetkovich in Conference.
Premier Cvetkovich no sooner had
reached the capital than he went
into conference seeking TO end the
disorders. which had been agitating
the country for "a hours
While Premier Cvetkovich con-
suited with Chief Regent Prince
Paul, unconflrmed reports circulated
that authorities had ordered a
search of the homes OF opposition
leaders who resigned from the gov
ernment before the axis alignment.
1t was rumored that several arrests
had been made.
YugoSlavla'S public schools were
ordered closed until Monday.
Accompanied by Foreign Minister
Alexander Cincar- -Markovich, who
also participated in the pact signing
yesterday, the Premier hurried from
=;
at once with government leaders.
Vice Premier Vladimir Machek,
who met the train with other cab
met ministers, followed the premier
to report on disorders which f1ared
in all parts of the country while
the treaty was being signed.
Hitler Pictures Destroyed.
The first step taken by the au-
/ thoritieS after Premier Cvetkovichs
/ arrival was to close several Belgrade
! public schools. where thousands of
older boys destroyed pictures OF
Adolf Hitler and staged sitdowu
| strikes.
Police cordons were stationed
around some of the largest schools.
The scene at the station when
/ Premier Cvetkovich and his Foreign
Minister stepped from their train at
904 was somber
Hundreds of persons already vera
reported under arrest in the prov
inces as result of yesterdays DEM
onstrations which threatened TO
reach grave proportions.
COmitaji Rejuvenated.
Serb peasants, students, commu-
nists and the rejuvenated Comitaii
| COMMITTEE of Dissenters which
dates back to Turkish Empire days.
took a leading part in the disorders.
Hosea Pecanach. one-time Comitaii
leader and hero of the 1918 Salonika
campaign, was reported in Southern
! Serbia recruiting sons of his World
| War comrades for a new fight
| against German domination.
Young Serbs besieged the Greek
and the British Legations asking
transportation to the Albanian and
| the Greek fronts to join the battle
| against the axis.
One of the largest demonstrations
yesterday was in Kraljevo, Serbia,
where more than 5000 men and
women gathered to hear speakers
| in the public square. then paraded
through streets, denouncing their
"treacherous government"
Two thousand peasants. many
armed with pitchforks, marched in
Hadji Popovich, central Serbian city,
shouting I'VE want war; Thou
sands participated in similar DEM
onstrations elsewhere. openly ex-
pressing sympathy with Greece and
Great Britain.
In some places police made only
perfunctory efforts to halt the dem
onstratorS. Those arrested were
said to be only radical leaders who
authorities feared might incite seri-
GUS trouble.
Leaders of the Agrarian and the
Independent Democrat parties said
they were preparing strongly word
ed statements to be handed to Pre-
mier Cvetkovich confirming resigna-
tions of party members from the
government.
They urged all representatives OF
their parties holding government
(See YUGOSLAVIA, Page A-3)