Evening star., 1943-01-31
u. ). Calls on Russia
For Help in Uniting
YugosIavia Factions
First Plunge in Politics
Of Europe Seen Aimed
Toward New Cumpuion
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

III It's llISl QlIeCl plunge lnJC
the politics Of wartime Europe
the United States has asked Rus
sia to take a hand in uniting the
two antagonistic anti-AXis forces
in Yugoslavia-the followers of
Gen. Draja Mihailovich and the
PartiSanS.
Authorities said yesterday the
British and Americans fear a golden
opportunity TO launch a real cam
paign against Hitler's rear ir
Europe, while the Reds rock the
Nazis on the Russian front, will 20
begging if the two groups remain
apart.
This Government is asking Rus
sia to convince the Partisans they
should end, or at least suspend, their
quarrel with the Mihailovich group
Soviet Unions Influence.
The fact that the Moscow radio
is the chief source of news about the
Partisans' activities has guided both
Washington and London to the
thought that the Soviet Union is an
influence among the Partisans
whose wild armies are now said to
hold about 1000 square miles of
the Yugoslavia which Hitler believed
he conquered in 1941.
Many observers believe it is i'm
possible that President Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Churchill could
have neglected Yugoslavia in their
talks at Casablanca A campaign in
Yugoslavia should be guided in its
timing and general strategy from an
Allied headquarters they say. Thus
it could best be fitted into the over
all scheme OF United Nations opera
tions. The Partisans, however, are
out of reach of London and Wash
ington
The United States move is viewed
as significant inasmuch as there has
been talk of the Allies striking at
"the soft underbelly OF Europe"
AS move toward establishing
peace in Yugoslavia among the dis
sident anti-Axis elements, the Mi
hailovich group is reported to have
received instructions from the Yupo-
slav government in London to main
tain good relations with the Par
tisans and other elements in Yugo-
slavia participating in the fight
against the Axis.
Sphere Of Control.
Gen. Mihailovich, whose sphere
OF control is now probably smaller
than the Partisans', can be reached
and guided from London.
For Gen. Mihailovich and the
Partisans. the problem of union is
complicated by political differences
and the entrance automatically into
the confused Yugoslavian picture by
the United States may upset the
continuation of the policy that the
administration has maintained to-
ward Axis-occupied Europe.
That policy is that until the war
ispyer, Europe is a military and not
a Political problem. So far as the
United States is concerned, it is up
to the peoples of the various coun-
tries that are now dominated by the
Axis to choose their own political
leaders and make their own political
decisions after the Axis has been
smashed.
However, Secretary of State Hull
has emphasized the hands-off policy
on number of occasions.
The problem Of Yugoslavia. how
ever, suggests to some diplomatic
observers that military questions
have inescapable political facets in
every country.
The temporary encouragement
which some quarters of the admin
istration have given to the hopes of
Archduke Otto Won Hapsburg of
hQoUild dIiu W i iUof ECkfl8TOI. q
Hungarian whose aims had the ap-
proval of Otto, have left the inn
preston, some diplomatic quarters
say, that whatever deviation the
United States makes in it's policy
about European politics is in the di-
rection of reaction.
Move Toward Revision.
However, move toward the re-
vision of this impression was made
yesterday by Assistant Secretary OF
State A. A. Berle when he notified
the American Hungarian Fedora
ton he would be unable to attend
the federation meeting scheduled
for Bridgeport, Conn, tonight
though he previously had accepted
the invitation.
The federation announced that it
intends at the meeting to affirm its
devotion to the United States. but
the society was criticized last sum-
mer for its sponsorship of Thor
Eckhardt.
The State Department has been
under heavy pressure recently from
number of Europeans in the