Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-21
Attacks by YueosIovio
Linked With PurIey
Firing on L. S. Planes May Be
Peace Shots to Win Trieste
BY David Laurence

! CAGE ODOtS 10 WIN rIeSte
! BY David Laurence
/ When division of American troops
| goes on parade in the occupied zone
| adjacent to Yugoslavia and two top
ranking admirals-one OF them Amer
ica's best aircraft task force commander
fly to Europe for naval inspection"
trip, there would normally not be the
slightest significance to the episode.
But when it comes Immediately after
hghter planes of the Yugoslavian gov
eminent have repeatedly fred on
American transport planes, 1t can be
| presumed that crisis Of serious inter-
national proportions is in the making.
President Truman was planning to
go north along the Atlantic coast on his
yacht, but now he has turned south
ward toward Washington. Presumably
he will return Immediately to the Ma
| tional Capital from some nearby port
II matters grow worse in Europe.
| The text of the American note of
/ protest to Yugoslavia makes public to
all the world that Yugoslavia has fred
on the planes of a friendly country.
| Inc demand now is for assurances that
American planes will not again be at
| tackled. The latest note Significantly
says that the United States fully re-
serves its position in matter Of claims
for compensation
! Government Puzzled.
Ihls means that reparation NAV be
demanded later in the event that q
satisfactory reply is not soon received
and should there by further attacks,
The American Government, meanwhile,
Is puzzled by the Yugoslavian attitude
is Marshal Tito trying to provoke the
United States and so vex our repre-
sentatlves in Paris that they will ac-
cede to his demands with respect to
Trieste? Do the Yugoslavian authori-
ties, sponsored as they are by the Rus
SLAMS, believe that this is one way to
TEST OUT American intentions in Europep
Anyway, If there is any question
about Americas decision to back up
her diplomacy. 1t will be cleared up by
what is about to happen in the Mediter-
ranean. The parade of the 88th Divi-
sion was only one manifestation of
American concern.
There are now in the Mediterranean
nine American warships of major size.
These include the giant 45,00O-ton air
craft carrier Roosevelt. three cruisers
and f1ve destroyers. Admiral Marc Nit
scher. who won his laurels In the war
against Japan, doubtless will be placed
In command of the task force. Fighter
planes from the carrier could be
launched in the Mediterranean for
patrol duty or for parade" purposes.
U. N. Arm Can't Act.
1t is not known what naval forces
the British have in the Mediterranean,
but 1t is believed here that reports
earlier OF joint maneuvers with Amer
lean naval forces may have been in
some way linked to preparations for
naval demonstration of British Amer
| lean warships.
| Unfortunately, the United Nations is
not set up as yet on the military or
naval side. so the breach of the peace
| OF which Yugoslavia has been guilty
In her attack on the planes OF friendly
nation cannot be handled by the Sc
curity Council. But even If each ma
ton were ready to furnish the neces-
sary forces, there is no certainty that
any action could be commanded, be-
cause Russia has veto in the Security
Council and it is likely that. judging
by her past record, her course would
be one of procrastination rather than
enforcement of discipline.
For all practical purposes, America
and Britain are the ones to enforce
peace In Europe. The attacks on Amer
lean planes are related to the prob
lens Of occupation, because 1t is only
| to carry out the terms of the armistice
by which Yugoslavia and other ma
lions were liberated from the Nazi yoke
that American forces are stationed in
Europe today.
Unquestionable Link.
Yugoslavia Is under the thumb of
Russia. but she could easily ALLEVIATE
American friendship and economic help
for long time to come by her Short
sighted course. The injury done Amer
lean airmen is aggravated by the high
handed behavior of the Belgrade off,
Gals in refusing to allow the passen-
gers on transport plane forced down
in Yugoslavia to be seen by official
consular representatives until after pro-
test was made. Likewise. the detention
of the airmen is sign that Yugoslavia
is not free agent herself but is await
ing orders from Moscow, where the
governmental machinery works with
cumbersome slowness.
There is unquestionably a connection
between what is happening in the Paris
Conference and the aggressive behavior
of Yugoslavia. The United States Gov
eminent is not planning to hush up
the affair but is making its notes public
at once, and is not trying to keep secret
what 1t is doing in the way of . mill
tary and naval demonstration. Some
times major crises develop that way.
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