Evening star., 1947-09-18
Yugos|avia Charges
U. 5. Troops Looted
Istrian Territory
By The Asseciotsd Press

TRIESTE, Sept. 18.-The press
department of the Yugoslav
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
accused American troops of
committing crimes and rob-
berries during their withdrawal
from Istrian territory take over
by Yugoslavia under the Italian
peace treaty.
The head of the press depart
ment told news conference at
Abbazia yesterday that "a series of
crude attacks on property and citi-
zens" was committed. He added
that the Yugoslav Ministry of For
eign Affairs had asked its repre-
sentative in Washington to lodge
sharp protest and ask for COM
pensation."
He also charged that in areas re-
turned to Italian administration by
the troop movements which fol-
lowed activation of the Italian
peace treaty "terroriZing of the
Slovene population" had increased.
Clash Is AverteG.
Italians and Yugoslavs pointed
tanks at each other at one contested
point on the new frontier at Gorilla
yesterday. but a possible clash was
averted when 1t was agreed to refer
the matter to a joint Italo- -Yugoslav
commission.
A spokesman for the United Ma
tions Boundary Commission declared
Yugoslavs had asked for changes in
their favor of from 20 to 300 yards
at every outpost except one on the
boundary between the free territory
of Trieste and Yugoslavia guarded
by British American troops
Tuesday an American outpost
succeeded in preventing YugoslaV
troops from crossing the northern
border of the free state and march
ing into Trieste Itself. Yesterday
the Yugoslavs were moving south,
skirting the British-American oc-
cupation zone to reach their own
sector in the free territory.
Italian Asks Treaty Revision.
At Udine Maj. Gen. Giulio Ernesto
Cappa, commander of Italian forces
in Northeastern Italy, called for re-
vision of the Italian peace treaty
to increase his country's armed
strength as Allied Withdrawals left
his men facing the Yugoslavs alone
along the new provisional boundary.
The 59-year-old general said in an
interview that the Yugoslav forces
were greatly superior" in number
to his own. The peace treaty lin
tied the Italian Army to 1876 900 men.
Tanks were brought up at Gorilla
when a Yugoslav colonel demanded
that the boundary be changed to
include three houses at present in
Italy. The italian carabinieri moved
up six tanks when the colonel made
his demand. and the Yugoslavs
countered by drawing up three.
Finally, police said, the Yugoslavs
agreed to refer the point to an Italo-
Yugoslav commission.
At another Gorilla outpost Yugo-
slavs set up six machineguns, but
removed them an hour later. The
Italians manned their outposts
with earabinieri police and customs
guards, and kept the regulars out of
sight of the provisional frontier.
Demonstrations added to the ten
sion in Gorilla. About 1000 Slovenes
on the YugoslaY side of the line
marched to an outpost shouting
"Fascists" and "Gorizia is ours"
Both Yugoslav and italian civilians
demonstrated last night at the
Gorilla railroad station, which is in
Yugoslav territory. The Yugoslavs
yelled "Fascists" and the Italians
countered with 'Titoites."
Another instance of a Yugoslav
demand for a change in the border
along the free state occurred at
outpost No. 8 on the main road from
Ljubljana to Trieste. The American
commander refused the request and
the Yugoslav did not insist.