Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-22
American EnvoyF|ies to See Tito
With UItimatum on Air Attacks;
US. Fighter Escorts Considered
YugosIovio Facing
Trial Before u. N.
Security Council
|TeTt OF ultimat1tm to YugoSlaDia
on Page A-8.J

| Fighter escorts for American
transport planes in areas skirt
ing Yugoslavia were reported
under consideration today as the
| deadline licked off in a show
down between the United States
and Yugoslavia over world peace
machinery.
Revealing that the cover" plan
for unarmed transports was being
carefully weighed, diplomatic au-
thorities here said the ban on
American flights over Yugoslav
territory would be retained. The
fighters, if used, would protect
American planes flying the Aus
trian-Italian route and would be
prepared to stand off Yugoslav pur-
suit ships that might venture over
Austria.
Consideration of such a course
came as Yugoslavia remained silent
on an ultimatum to bring about the
release within 48 hours of survivors
Of two American planes "deliber-
ately' shot down by Yugoslav
fighters. If the demand goes unan-
swered, the United States stands
prepared to put Yugoslavia on trial
before the United Nations Security
Council in what may be a make-or-
break test for that peace agency.
Outrage" Condemned.
The ultimatum ominously left
American action open, to be deter
mined in the light of evidence
obtained from the survivors and
possible Yugoslav efforts to right
the wrong done" even if it is COM
piled with
In the grave and angry indict-
ment sent to Belgrade last night
this Government condemned the
outrageous" Yugoslav attacks on
American planes August 9 and
August 10 as clearly inconsistent
with friendly relations and viola
tons of Yugoslavias United Ma
tons obligations.
Two Demands Made on Tito.
It served two fat demands" on
Marshal Tito's Soviet supported
Government:
l. THAT you Immediately release
the occupants of these planes now
in your custody and that you insure
their safe passage beyond the bor-
ders of Yugoslavia.'
g. That American officials "be per-
mltted to communicate with any OF
the occupants of the two planes who
are still alive"
| Unless these demands are met
within 48 hours from their receipt
by the Yugoslav government-mak-
ing the deadline some time FRIDAY
night or Saturday morning-the
United States warned that it will
call upon the Security Council OF
the United Nations to meet promptly
ana to take appropriate action
Such an appeal, American au-
thorities realized. might make OF
break the United Nations, since it
would pose a critical test of the
Councils ability to function effec-
lively under the Big Five veto sys-
! tenn.
Soviet May Use Veto.
Stiffened by Russian backing
Yugoslavia may defy the United
States ultimatum, and then the So
Wet government might use its veto
to block any Security Council action
There was no reluctance by this
Government to meet such cha1-
lenge, however. The feeling seems
to be that if showdown of the
ability of the United Nations to set
tie disputes peacefully has to come,
the sooner the better.
The ultimatum to Yugoslavia, one
of the most harshly Worded docu-
ments ever sent by this Government
to professedly friendly nation, was
framed only after trans Atlantic
telephone consultations between
Secretary of State Byrnes in Paris,
President Truman on his yacht Will
liamsburg, and Acting Secretary of
State Acheson here in Washing
| ton.
Mr.. Acheson called Dr.. Sergije
Makiedo, Charge dAffaires of the
Yugoslav Embassy here, urgently to
the State Department late yesterday
and handed him the note. DR.. Ma
kiedo spent only three minutes in
Mr.. Acheson's Office, emerging with
nervous smile and no comment.
Quick support for the ultimatum
came from Chairman Bloom of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee
who said it is high time we stopped
pussy -footing.2 He said the United
States, as a law-abiding Nation, has
no other course but to lay the issue
before the Security Council if Yugo-
slavia ignores the American de-
mands.
The American plan to seek or
| fSee IJI,TIMATITM pace Az