Evening star., 1942-10-17
Capital Interested
As Yugos|avs LIST
Nedich as QuisIinq
Government-in-ExiIes
Action May Halt sopping
OF MihuiIovic's Strength
By BLAIR BOLLES.

have received with interest the
news that the Yugoslav government
in-exile has put Gen. Milan Nedich
on the official list of Quislings due
for postwar hanging, because the
action removes one OF the polltlcal
obstacles that has been threatening
the continued operation of the only
European fighting front against the
Axis west of Russia-the front
maintained in Yugoslavia by the
forces under Gen. Draja Mlhallovlc.
Gen. Mihailovic has been growing
steadily weaker because of the in
volved lineup of factions in Yugo-
slavia and in the government-ln-
exile. whose headquarters are in
London. A group in the govern
ment supported by Ambassador
Fotitch here, has been tolerant OF
Gen. Nedich. Gen. Mihailovic has
been loyal to the government. Gen.
Nedich has denounced Mihallovlc.
The result has been confusion for
the Yugoslav people.
The popular Yugoslav confusion
has given birth to the "Partlsans,
an informal Yugoslav army fighting
the Axis in guerilla fashion at the
same time it scorns the Mlhallovlc
forces because of their tie with the
government in London. The "Partl-
sans" have fought against the
Mihailovic soldiers as we'll as
against the Germans. Italians, Hun
garians and Bulgarians stationed in
the Yugoslav territory
Shift Propaganda.
The Axis propaganda has been
taking advantage OF this division by
disseminating stories from neutral
capitals that the "Partisans' are
Communists whose main foe Is the
bourgeois Gen. Mihailovic year
ago the same Axis propagandlsts
were picturing Mihailovic as a Com
munist in order to lose him as many
friends as possible in non-Com-
munist anti-AXis capitals.
One of the principal fountains OF
/ the Axis propaganda aimed at dis
couraging the Yugoslav fight is the
Belgrade newspaper Move Vreme,
published by Gen Nedich, who is
+
Serbia. Rumors started by Novo
Vreme spread into Switzerland and
Turkey and sometimes to the United
States.
The factionalism in the govern
ment n-eXile which has caused Of
fetal concern here is believed to
play directly into the hands of Gen.
Nedich, because one faction Is moved
by the conviction that in the post
war world the Serbs should domi-
nate the other peoples in the pre-
war Yugoslav kingdom-Croats and
Slovenes
Gen. Nedich himself propounds
this idea from time to time in his
newspaper, while both the Mihailo-
vich and the partisan force include
men from all the nationals of Yugo-
slavia For this reason Mihailovich
and the partisans are in theological
disagreement with the Great Serb
members of the government in Lon
don. as we'll as with Nedich.
The members of the Great Serb
faction have supported a propa-
ganda that the Croats are murder
ing Serbs and playing ball with the
Axis The arge-scale massacres OF
Croats recently by Axis troops have
blunted this propaganda, which Is
duller already by the fact that the
Serbian Gen. Nedich has supported
the massacre not only of Croatians
but of Serbs. Serbia has been quiet
ed under the Gestapo, with whom
Gen Nedich co-operates
U. S. and Britain Disconnected.
Ante Pavelich. the principal Croa-
tan Quisling, has ordered the mur-
der of anti-Axis Creations as we'll as
of Serbians. On the other hand,
Vlatko Machek, the Creation pro-
Allied political patriot, is said to
be the chief inspiration of the vigor-
Gus Creation resistance both to
Pavelich and to the Italians with
whom Pavelich co-operates.
The government faction in Lon
don that favors the Great Serb idea
is headed by Foreign Minister Min
chlch. officials here and in the
British government who are guiding
the development of plans for Euro
pean reconstruction have been dis
concerted that this important rep
resentative of an important Euro
pean nation has been contributing
to the perpetuation of the hatreds
that underlie wars in Europe.
: Whether the inclusion of Gen,
, Nedich on the Yugoslav Quisling list
: indicates change of heart for For
elgn Minister Ninchich or simply a
: triumph for the Yugoslav-as op-
posed to the Great Serbian-element
IN the exile government in London
: is not clear. The Great Serb idea
| has been pressed vigorously In tbs
; United States by Ambassador Fo-
fitch. who is Gen. Nedich's cousin.
The complexities of the Yugoslav
political situation are increased by
the fact that Gen, Nedich attacks
the London government.