Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-17
Ex-Yugos|av Leader
1estifies He Knew Of
Axis Collaboration
BY the Associated Press

BELGRADE, June 17.-Dr. ste.
van Moljevic, president of Gen
Draja Mihailovich's wartime
Central Committee, entered s
plea OF innocent today to wal
crimes charges, and immediately
disclaimed responsibility fol
what he described as the "col.
liberation" of Chetnik com.
manders.
Yes, knew there was connection
and collaboration with the Ger
mans" the thin gray former at
torney told the court which is try
ing him, with Gen. -Mihailovich and
% other defendants, on charges of
treason and collaboration.
MolJevic said he had protested to
MlhallovIch about the alleged COL
liberation of the commanders.
What did you do about it?' he
was asked.
This was in the hands of Gen
Mlhallovich,'' he replied.
Allowed No Interference.
Moljevic said that when he Joined
the Central Committee Mihailovich
told him:
In military affairs I do not allow
any one to interfere between me and
my commanders"
I was never interested in mill
tary matters he testified. II am
not soldier and did not know
about such things.
AS to political end of the Mi
hailovich movement, the organiza-
ton existed before me. but I
brought my abilities into it. l take
my responsibility for all this
MolJevic said he first discovered
collaboration when he visited Pavel
DJurisic, Chetnik commander in
Montenegro, in 1941.
Nobody told me anything" the
witness testified, but I felt as soon
as I came into his Djurisic's) ter
ritory that there was some sort of
contact with the occupier. I.
When I heard the truth, went to
@'&AAAeeAAoFASl1 anu dShCu dUOuJ IL
and protested"
MolJevic was the second of eight
accused Chetnik leaders to take the
stand. Mihailovich. who yesterday
ended five days cross examination,
was brought into the courtroom
with Moljevic, but was removed on
motion of the prosecutor. who said
that this is not a normal case
The court president ordered Mihail-
ovlchs removal as the best method
OF arriving at the material truth
Gen. Mihailovich yesterday en-
tered a blanket denial to prosecu-
ton charges that he countenanced
war crimes by his Chetnik guer-
rlllas, and replied spiritedly that
I never ordered murder, partic-
ularly of women and children"
Never, as long as l have been
soldier, have 1 allowed even cap
tured soldiers to be killed, and more
so, never civilians" Mihailovich
said as the prosecution confronted
him with charges against the Chef
mix forces ranging from murder
and rape to the burning of villages.
The testimony was indicative of
the violence of recent Balkan his
tory. Much of the testimony con-
cerred' interpretatio "of u, de-
scrlbed by the prosecution as the
name of a Chetnik unit. -..
The prosecution contended that
e stood for the word "Zaklati,"
which means to stab to death.
Mihailovich testified, however, that
1t denoted "zaplasiti," which means
to frighten.
Put under the T." the prosecu-
ton claimed, meant to mark indi-
viduals unfriendly to Mihailovich
for murder. But the defendant
testified:
Il wanted to frighten certain
people and I managed in many
cases to brighten them"
The war crimes charges against
Mihailovich revolve about three
branches of the Chetnik leaders
wartime movement. These were the
BLACK Threes," the Flying Squads"
and e."
The prosecution contended that
all three groups were formed to
carry out reprisals against Partisan
sympathizers. Mihailovich said all
three were used for propaganda
purposes and to take action against
traitors.