Evening star., 1944-07-09
Ambassador Fotitch
Refuses 10 Recognize
New YugosIav Regime
By JOSEPH n. BAIRD.

CnArBlng CnaC Cne new YuGO-
slav government Of Premier Ivan
Shubashich In London "is OBJ
viously against all democratic
principles" Ambassador Con-
stantin Fotitch refused yester-
day to recognize it and declared
his loyalty to the National Com
mittee in Yusoslavia.
Although the envoy said he had
not resigned because he could not
resisn from 4 government he did
not recognize. his public statement
was interpreted to mean that he
soon will vacate his post. The State
Department maintains relations with
the London regime, and unless they
are broken Warrington naturally
will recognize the ambassador who
"a appointed to succeed Mr.. Fotitch.
Mr.. Fotitch agreed that his state
ment puts the next move up to
the London ONCE. 1t was recalled
that about three weeks ago Premier
Shubashich announced that Mr.
Fotitch was out as ambassa dor, but
the envoy declined at that time to
recognize the Premier's order.
Formation of the new cabinet
was announced In London Friday.
Aides Pledge Loyalty.
Mr.. Fotitch made his announce
ment at q special press conference
called at the Yugoslav Embassy.
1870 Sixteenth street NV. At the
same time, the Yugoslav military
and air attache here, 1t. Col. Zivan
L. Knezevich, and his two staf men,
bers announced their loyalty to
Gen. Draja Mihailovitch and the
National Committee, who are At
odds with the London government.
Col. Knezevich and his two aides
Capt. Borislav Todorovich and En-
gineer Of1icer Vojislav Nikola jevich
said that If they were unable to
join Gen. Mihailovitch's forces In
YugoslaNa they would volunteer,
provided the general consents, to
serve As enlisted men in the Ameri-
can Army.
The situation raised by Ambas-
sador Fotitch's resignation is highly
in diplomacy. During the
last five years many envoys here
have been left impotent by German
OF their countries or have
refused to serve regimes under Nazi
DONNA ton. but Mr.. Fotitch is the
first, so far as observers could re-
call, to deliberately rep,,diate
regime operating outside of German
Claims Serbs Excluded.
His reasons for doing 20 were
made public by Mr.. Fotitch In 4
lengthy statement. the main point
OF which was that the Shubashi
regime was not representative of
Yugoslavia because it excluded all
real Serbians.
Asked by reporter why he
thought the Serbs had been ex-
cluded. Mr.. Fotitch said he believed
there probably was an agreement
between DR.. Shubaahich and Mar
shall Tito tYugoslav Partisan
leader who is~a bitter enemy of
Gen. Mihailovitch) OF such q ma ture
that no Serbian was willing to
serve the Shubashich regime. He
did not enlarge upon this state
Mr.. Fotitch declared that the
Serbs have conducted an unequal
struggle against the Axis for more
than three years. and. indeed, start
ed 1t when they repudiated the Tri-
partite Pact with Germany. italy
and japan on March ~, 1o4l. He
estimated that the Serbs had lost
more than 1000 900 citizens.
Bitterly resentins charges that
Gen. Mihailovitch was not loyal to
the Allies. Mr. Fotitch said that dur
Ing the last month the generals
men had rescued 12l American air.
men shot down over Yugoslavia by
the Germans. Their names and Sc
rial numbers. he said, were sent to
the War Department. checked and
found correct. In battles to rescue
these airmen. the envoy continued
some 400 Yusoslav soldiers have lost
their lives.
Col. knezevich. in his statement
pointed out that he had the honor"
to lead out the Royal Guard and
command the Belgrade garrison oy,
March n. 194l, when Yugoslavia
denounced the TripArtite Pact and
made common cause with the Allies.
speaking for himself and his two
tides, he said they want to Join the
Yugoslav Army In the homeland As
soon as possible. but that il this is
not possible Immediately, we are
determined to join the ranks Of
one of the Allied armies and to
night to the final victory OF the
democracies.
lNauu u.le W.. cI