Evening star., 1941-04-06
America Prepared
To Aid YugosIavia
Meet Axis Blow
Possibility of Receiving
Shipments by Red SEQ
Wus Pointed Out
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

attitude of friendship and encour-
agement has been a large factor
both in the development of Yugo~
slavian resistance to German de-
mands and in the Yugoslavian solu-
ton of her internal Croatian dis
sensions, is ready to buttress Yugo-
slavia materially to the greatest
extent possible, it was learned yes
terday.
The Yugoslav government was
advised by Washington more than
a week ago of the plan for opening
the Red Sea to American ships
as soon as Massaua should fall to
the British. Minister Constantin
Fotitch communicated the news to
the Simovic government in Bel
grade, where it was taken as a sign
that Yugoslavia could count on re-
ceiving American goods as well as
American goodwill expressions.
Talked With President.
The implications of opening the
Red Sea route were discussed, it is
said, by President Roosevelt and
Mr.. Fotitch at their meeting at
the White House Thursday, several
DAYS after the prospect of this step
first had been drawn to the Yugo-
slavian attention. To bring goods
in American ships to the Gulf of
Suez and turn them over there to
the British for themselves and their
Allies would both enhance the pros
pect of their reaching their ulti-
mate destination and increase the
amount of goods that could be sent
to the Balkan area.
The arms backbone OF the Yugo-
slavs has been the produce for the
most part of the Skoda munitions
works in Czecho-S -Slovakia-obtained
before the Czech provinces Of Bo-
hemia and Moravia fell to Ger
many.
Some heavy guns have been OBJ
tanned in the last two years from
Germany directly in barter agree
ment for Yugoslav agricultural
goods. The army also has guns
from France, which was the great
nation patron of Yugoslavia in the
days of the Little Entente. In
recent months Yugoslavia has OBJ
tanned some English and American
goods.
1t was the almost definite as
surance that, provided the English
co-operated by beating the italians,
the Red Sea would be opened and
these Skoda, German and French
arms would positively be supple
mented that helped fortify the
Simovica government in its deter
mination to resist, and gave it an
argument to help win the Croat,
Vladimir Mack, to participation in
the government of resistance. The
prospect of American material help
enhanced the Yugoslav outlook for
successful struggle.
Will Send French 75s.
If the British victory in Eritrea
and the fall of Massaua comes soon,
it is probable that the French 75s
at Fort Bragg which President
Roosevelt said last week were to be
earmarked for Greece, will be de-
livered via the Red Sea. The diff
culties of transportation between
this part of the world and the
Balkans without the Red Sea avenue
are great. The Mediterranean is
battlefield, dangerous to all mer-
chant shipping, and the route OF
transportation from England to
Egypt and the Balkans via West
Africa is long and uncertain.
The defeat of the italians at
Massaua would be valuable to Yugo-
slavia, Greece and Turkey by
opening the Red Sea not alone to
American but to British shipping.
The sea has been a zone of military
operation perilous to the passage
of cargo vessels of any kind.
Presidential proclamation shut it
to American shipping under the
Neutrality Act last June II, when
Italy opened the campaign in East
Africa against French and British
Somaliland. Public opinion on the
question of revoking the proclama-
ton has not yet developed.
Since Yugoslavia industrially has
been almost entirely dependent on
her axis neighborS, some assurance
that she could count on new source
of factory materials was very I'M
portant to Belgrade in deciding
whether Yugoslavia should go so
far as to dare war with Germany.
Balance Is Against Yugoslavs.
On the other hand, Yugoslavian
economy is important both to Ger
many and Italy, but the balance OF
economic dependence is against
Yugoslavia.
Reports reaching here say, never
theless, that the axis already is feel
ing an economic pinch as result
of the Yugoslav decision to oppose
the axis and let the axis decide for
itself whether it would go to war.
The shutting of the Yugoslavlan
borders and the halting of railway
traffic across Yugoslavia and the
Reich has stopped shipments OF
Runanian oil to Germany. Ship
ments of the oil along the DANUBE
were forbidden a week ago by the
Belgrade government.
In going to war with YugoslaVla,
Germany loses one of its best sources
of bauxite, the aluminium ore nee
essary for airplane production.
Agreements Are Suspended.
Commercial agreements were sus-
pended under which Germany has
received large supplies of wheat,
corn and pork from the fertile Sla-
vonian plains in northeastern Yu-
goslavia. War with Yugoslavia Is
expected to intensity the German
food problem.
Naval and military officials of this
county are said already to have
begun the study of shipping via the
Red Sea. American service to East
Africa from the Eastern United
States, via the Cape of Good Hope,
already exists on a limited scale
It Is believed probable that ar