Evening star., 1946-05-01
Mihailovich Evidence
Hints Conniyance by
u. 5. Army Officers

The Yugoslav Embassy today re-
leased what it regards as the cream
OF a voluminous crop of evidence
purporting to show that through
out the war, Gen. Draja Mihailo-
Vich collaborated with the Ger
mans, Italians, Croat Fascists and
Serb Quislings against Marshal
Tito's Partisans.
The material contains a specu-
latlve note as to whether American
Army men did not all along know
and approve of the situation.
This evidence, it is believed. will
form the basis of the coming trial
of Gen. Mihailovich, former Yugo-
slav underground leader, on charges
OF treason and war criminal activ-
tty-a trial for which the Tito gov
ernment has refused to consider
the testimony of American officers
attached to Gen. Mihailovich dur
Ing the war, explaining to the State
Department that his crimes ARE
too big and horrible" to permit dis
cussion as to whether he is guilty
or not"
Dispatch Included.
The documents made public by the
Embassy were translated by Vase
Trivanovitch, Yugoslav-born Amer
lean writer and economist, now
treasurer of the Atlas Trading
Corp. in New York, and are pre-
sented in pamphlet form along with
Mr.. Trivanovitch' commentary.
They are said to have been selected
from 735-page book of evidence
recently compiled in Yugoslavia by
the War Crimes Commission, re-
ferred to by the Embassy as but
a part of the case against Mihailo-
Vich."
Among them is one described as a
dispatch from Mihailovich head
quarters to his commanders in
Serbia IN September, 1914, quoting
an unidentified American colonel as
having stated that Russian troops
had agreed not to enter Yugoslavia,
which was to be occupied by Amer
leans; that Mihailovich would, after
victory, win trumped-up plebis-
cite and eliminate" Tito, and that
meanwhile Mihailovich's forces were
to continue the struggle even with
the support of the Germans.
Mr.. Trivanovitch. in his pamphlet,
comments editorially that there was
"a powerful clique of officers in
Washington, close to Gen. Mar
shall" which considered collabora-
ton with Germany was justified to
halt the spread of Communism. He
ADDS, however. 1T is to be hoped
that by September, 1914, no Ameri-
can officer would have been so in
discreet -"
Dictatorship Move Seen.
Through the minutes of youth
conference of Gen. Mihailovich's
Chetnik units on November 30. 1912.
the War Crimes Commission pre-
sents an Interpretation of the Chet-
mix program which amounts to
establishment of a ruthless Serbian
dictatorship. According to this
document, the conference passed
resolutions favoring complete au-
thority in the State" for the Chet-
nlkS, with control of large land
holdings, industry, wholesale trade,
commerce and banking, the church
and the press.
Other documents detail the trea-
son case against various men de-
scribed as trusted aides of Mihailo-
vich, among them Col. Bayo Sta
nishich, Gen Blazho M. Gjukano-
vich, Capt. Bora Mitranovich and
Capt. Paul I. Gjurishich. A clip
ping from "Quisling newspaper" !"
announcing the awarding by the
Germans of the Iron Cross to Capt.
Gjurishich is included among the
evidence.
Documents concerning the activi-
ties of these men paint a picture
Of their fight against Marshal Tito's
Communist forces and of their fail
ure to take any action against the
Italians and Germany. They indi-
cate that Chetnik units, among other
things, sought Italian pay of IS lire
a day for fighting the Partisans,
operated under Italian command
from Rome during an offensive
against Marshal Tito's forces and
received greetings from a German
Army commander on Christmas eve.
Documents relating specifically to
Gen. Mihailovich generally purport
to establish his connection with
his aides" Two letters of his.
however, are included in the file, al
leeedly establishing that he knew
and approved of the actions of which
his aides are accused, and that his
aims were solely anti-Communist.