Evening star., 1946-08-24

the plane shot down August 9. Mr.
Patterson and his military attache
Col. Richard Partridge, expected to
view the wreckage of this CAT to-
/ day.
The American Ambassador also
was given permission to visit the
wounded Turkish passenger.
Several representative OF the
United States Graves Registration
Commission accompanied Mr.. Pat
terson and the other diplomats on
! their visit to the scene of the plane
which crashed near Bled. Tips of
the wings were dangling from trees,
set afire by the crash.
/ A Yugoslav militiaman told the
/ Ambassadors party he had helped
bury the five airmen in a common
grave in the picturesque Holy Cross
Church cemetery at the village of
Koprovinik. He said the funeral
was held at pm. last Wednesday
with a Catholic priest, Father
Jacques Laura, officiating.
Two bodies were burned in para
chutes,' the militiaman said
Yugoslav military officials agreed
with Tito that no one parachuted
from the plane. They said, how
ever, there was possibility that
two barrels of gasoline were jetti-
soned from the transport This led
to speculation that what various
eyeWitnesseS believed were floating
parachutes actually were barrels.
! American authorities were receiv-
ing every assistance from Yugoslav
officials in the investigation.
Turk Envoy Complains.
( The Turkish Ambassador, mean.
/ while, complained that the onl,
information ne had received about
the wounded Turkish passenger wa.
through the American Embassy. He
said he had cabled his government
for instructions and was attempt.
ing to check on the identity of the
Turk.
tSaya Kosanoyic. Yugoslav
Ambassador to Washington, said
IN Paris that the presence of
The Turkish passenger on the
! plane was not accidental"
/ american officials said In
Washington that the United
States would object TO Yugoslavia
continuing to hold the Turkish
officer. since the first demand of
the ultimatum was that all oc-
cupants of the two downed planes
be released. No distinction was
made as to citizenship, these Off
cials pointed OUT
/ Two American officials-Lt.; Col
Chester M. Stratton. assistant mill
tary attache, and William Fraleigh
second secretary of the embassy, re-
NAMED over night at Koprovinik tc
be present when the grave is opened
They were accompanied by two
members of the Graves Registration
/ Office.
Fresh flowers were reported tc
nave been placed Oh the grave.
Soldier Guards Crash Scene.
! The diplomatic party left Bleo
yesterday morning in a five-car con.
voy escorted by Yugoslav motor
cycles. They drove for about an
hour, and then left their vehicles
and began tWo-hour walk over
dried stream beds and farmland in
the rugged Julian Alps.
! Reaching the scene of the crash
Mr.. Patterson was told by peasants
that group of Yugoslav militiamen
carried the bodies from the wreck
age to nearby village"
/ A peasant named Skminc said he
had obtained "a common coff1n" for
the bodies.
/. A Yugoslay soldier armed with a
tommygun stood guard at the scene
OF the crash.
The cemetery where the five are
reported buried contains about $50
other graves and is surrounded by
trees.
1ntormants told the Americans
that Immediately after the crash
German prisoners of war had been
rushed to the scene to quench a fire
which the blazing plane started in
the woods. The Germans were as.
sisted by peasants.
One moccasin. several other shoes
and part of an officers green shirt
were among the items found near
the scene of the crash.