The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-24
by wEsTBRooK PEGLER

NEW YORK-AN Of sudden, we in the
U. S. A., are supposed to TURF against Cen
eral Mihailovitch, the commander of the Yugo-
slav guerrillas, on the word of the comnun-
lists that he has secretly been fighting on Hit
lers side in the Balkans and is a dirty fascist.
Very few Americans have even map-know-
ledge of the country. and its politics. of course,
are a complete mystery to us SO. we are not
equipped to form firm opinions, but we GER.
tainly do know that no Communist will ever
tell the truth about anything if a he will
serve his purpose as well and that fact must
count in Mihailovitchs favor.
Somehow, Miss Ruth Mitchell, the sister of
our own late Gen. Billy Mitchell got mixed
up in the war over there and served with
Mhailovitch and she is now back in this coun-
try and apparently hopping mad at the pro-
gress the communist propaganda has made in
favor OF Josep Broz, better known as Comrade
Tito, a roughneck who has been leading a
rival army and fighting Mhailovitch. On the
other hand, Louis Adamic, an American writer
who was born there, and whose opinion car
ries a lot of weight because he Is rated as an
authority. has approved Tito. The turn OF the
war in Yugoslavia thus puts Miss Mitchell on
a spot for il we believe the propaganda then
we have to suspect that this American women
who certainly showed courage il the WEI
either deliberately or innocently helping frac.
ton which is allied with Hitler, which would
be pretty bad business and very unlikely. 4
In view Of the propaganda that has been
spread by the communists and considering the
fact that American soldiers may have to fight
in the Balkans, believe Miss M;tchelPs story
should be presented as She wired 1t to me
few days ago from Reno. She says if it is true
that small units of Serbian Chetniks, which is
the name Of Miha.lovitch's people, apparent
ly have elaborated with the Germans, she
can understand that because our Office of
War Information has Convinced the Serbs that
we intend to betray the whole Balkans to
communism. The Serbs she says, are sincere
ly democratic and have been OR faithful allies,
in this war as they were in the last one and
points out that they openly Joined our side
while the communists were still friendly with
Hitler. She might have added but didn't so
will, that during the same time the communists
in France were doing sabotage in the war
factories, that communist UNITS IN the French
army committed treason and quit to the Ger
mans and that in this country, toe, they exert
ed themselves in every possible way to help
Hitler and harm Britain and US. :
1.-The communist eartlsans in cold fact, are
hardly fighting the Germans Miss Mitchells
telegram says, but are using their world
propaganda machine to credit themselves with
Serbian victories. The greatest terror of the
Croat partisans is a just punishment for the
murder OF over bOU, UO0 defenSeleSS Serbs, Old
men, women and children. The partisan army
consisting mainly of the identical men who
performed these mass murders are calling
themselves communists to gain the protection
of Russia who supports and arms them against
Mihailovitch whom we are betraylng.'
1t is very complex, as you see, and Miss
Mitchell goes on to say that the Greats eagerly
joined the Axis but are now going over to the
partisans Of Comrade Tito because they see
Russia winning. 81
THE reported Cnetnik Axis collaborators1
probably are partisans disguised to throw
odium on the Serbs she says. Our dlsloyal-
ty to the Serbs and the publicity given to the
brazen falsifcatons Of the communist partl-
sans by the Tiflis radio is black disgrace
to democracy and is costing us dear as II mas
unquestionably long prevented revolt ny the
Bulgarians and Roumaniaas VINO, WIN tne
whole Balkans hate communism
That is about the g:st OF MISS MltcheA
statement and am not sure it ciarl1les mat
tiers but pass it along because, Whatever
the rights and wrongs OF the dispute she is
dead right about the communist propa ganda
as to both it's quality and its methods And we
do have to remember that BACK 1nere Wnen
Hitler overran Jugoslavia, the communists
were not in the field resisting because hus-
STA was at peace with Germany ana Mlnalio-
witch was hero to us. a@x =. - -
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