Evening star., 1945-10-11
Letters to The Star
A Regional Officer in Serajevo
Replies to Criticism of UNRRA

@lNAlo ~ liz OIdl
A Regional Officer in Serajevo
Replies to Criticism of UNRRA
To the Editor Of The Star:
An article appearing in The Star All
gust has come to my attention. Under
the title "This Changing World" this
article discusses certain phases OF
UNRRA operations in Yugoslavia and
makes statements which bear correc-
ton.
1t is stated that American officials who
have been sent as regional supervisors
to Yugoslavia report to Washington
that they are being held as virtual
prisoners and are denied the right to
move even within few miles from their
assigned posts. That is a surprising
statement to one who came to this
country with the first contingent in
early February and who has moved
freely up and down the Dalmatian
Coast and in Bosnia herzegovina. This
statement makes major issue of some
difhculty which some of our people
experienced in obtaining passes .in the
beginning. During that period Yugo-
slavia was still at war. The major
responsibility for this situation lay not
with local officials but with UNRRA,
for our representatives were scattered
around the country without the Yugo-
slav government being duly notified of
our plans Of operation. AS soon as the
mission submitted "a detailed list of
rAnraSnnt fnei cto
pected movements. permits to travel
were issued to all who were in need OF
them to carry out necessary operations.
Observation Is Permitted.
The article further states that al
though American and British officials
arrived in Yugoslavia last May, to date
they have not been able to observe
what is being done with the supplies.
In the first place UNRRA officials have
been observing the distribution of sup
plies since late in February when the
program began on the Dalmatian
Coast. Duri g this whole period have
yet to know definitely of one UNRRA
person who has been refused the OPP
portunity of watching the actual dis
tribution Of supplies or of examining
the records of such distribution. have
visited many warehouses and distribu-
ton centers and have seen the people
receiving their share Of supplies The
records showing the receipt and dis
tribution of supplies in these places
always have been available for inspec-
ton. Quite naturally we find some
local officials who are less cooperative
than others but that cannot be con-
sidered as basic criticism of the ofiicial
Yugoslav policy. Even in the early days
when We were strangers here and local
officials in the back country were not
fully aware OF our program, our repre-
sentatives were met with a friendly
spirit and shown what they wanted to
see
A concluding statement says, Outside
the military and civilian officials, no
native is allowed to talk to them" This
statement bears some analysis for I
believe it is half truth, based on rumor
and information from biased sources
AS for the peasants and people living
in the cities who are behind their gov
ernment the statement is untrue.
Everywhere we travel there are numer-
GUS persons who stop to talk with us.
And we feel free to question them
about conditions, about how much
UNRRA supplies they are receiving.
There is no secret about the distribu-
ton of UNRRA supplies; the local Of
facials have done the best they could
with what they have received.
Quite naturally there are some people
here who are not faring as well under
the new administration as they did
before the war. These people have
taken every opportunity to tell Amer
ican and British officials how badly
they and their families are treated
They usually are the people who speak
some English and so more easily get
the attention of the British and Amer
leans
Compliments Yugoslav People.
1t is to be regretted that the article
did not explain some of the historical
background of the Yugoslav peoples
The centuries of serfdom they have
SdncASu az VAC LhilQS VI OtllCl lldllOIlS,
and the lack Of interest In the general
welfare shown by their own govern
ment since Yugoslavia became state
after the First World War. Something
about their struggle to exist in a coun-
try, many parts of which are totally
unproductive or only slightly productive.
1t is especially regretted that the ar
ticle did not speak of the tremendous
sacrifice made by the Yugoslav people
in lives and property in their struggle
for freedom. Or something of the
energy and initiative they are putting
into the effort to rehabilitate their
country under the most trying condi-
tions.
AL OF the above are important con-
siderations for the outsider who comes
to this country to work with the people.
Quite naturally the local mentality is
different from ours of the New World,
but 1t Is just as human and Just as
basically sound in its judgment as to
what is best for the country and the
people as We feel ours is for America.
We cannot expect to come here and
in our eficient businesslike British or
American manner impose a system of
distribution on a people who do not
understand and have littla oyperioooa