Evening star., 1947-01-19
Few Ruling
Yugoslavia
90 Per Cent of People
Think West Won't
Ease Plight
Bv Constantine Brown

by minority which counts on the
active support of scarcely 10 per
cent of the population.
The other 80 per cent are re-
ported to be anxious to find some
escape from the expressions OF the
Red Marshal Tito, whose heavy
hand is destroying every foundation
of Yugoslav life-the family, the
church and small farms.
It is manifestly impossible for
nearly 1880, 900 persons to emigrate
from a single country, even over a
considerable period of time. But
the reports of the desire to emigrate
reveal how deep is the anti-Com-
munist feeling in at least one,
country behind the iron curtain" ;"
Unlike some of the other pro-
Soviet countries Of Eastern Europe,
the Yugoslavs as a mass were never
eager for the Communists to come
into the country. The Communist
regime was imposed on the country
by combination of international
politics which encouraged the Yugo-
slavs to fight the Germans when.
they invaded, but which left them
to the harsh mercies of the Com
munists after the Germans had,
been expelled. :
The regime of Prince Paul, who
signed the agreement with Hitler,
was overthrown at the instigation
and with the active encouragement
of the western democracies, and a
pro-Allied government took its
place, pledged to resist the German
aggression. However, when the Ger
mans marched in Yugoslayia was
split.
Croats Incur Serb Wrath.
The Croats, on the whole, and
particularly the terrorist Ustachis,
refused to fight and collaboration
with the Germans was widespread.
Croat troops were returned to their
homes and treated almost like allies
of the Axis. The Serbs, on the other
hand, fought the Germans for the
most part and were treated as
prisoners of war.
The more anti-Serb Croats who
Fundamentally co-operated with
the Germans are credited in au-
thoritative reports in Washington
with having massacred during the
war 100000 Serbs and when faced
with the necessity of deciding
whether to stand with the Germans
or fight them, feared Serb reprisals
for these murders and took their
stand with the Germans.
The position of the Serbs was
somewhat different. They had col
laborationists, too, but for the most
part they maintained some kind Of
active resistance. The Serb areas
provided what trouble the Germans
experienced in dominating Yugo-
slavia. So quiet was Croatia that the
Germans used it as rest camp
for troops from the Russian front.
The mutually hostile resistance
forces-the National Yugoslav Army
and its volunteers under Gen. Draja
Mihailovich and the Partisans under
Marshal Tito-led an uncertain ex-
istence with little real effectiveness
against the Germans.
The two groups of genuine Chet-
niks which existed in Serbia were
by no means loyal to the Allies, and
collaborated extensively with the
Germans. They we're not, however,
under the leadership of Gen. Mi
hailovich, who led the remnants of
the Yugoslav Army.
The Partisans existed simply as an
advance column for the Communist
rule which was to come as the re-
suit of Winston Churchills agree
ment to Prime Minister Stalin's re-
quest for approval of his invasion
of Yugoslavia. Mr.. Churchill's con-
sent came at q time when he ex-
pected to launch an Allied invasion
of the Balkans, which would have
had the effect of multiplying Mos
cows aspirations in Yugoslavia.
When this invasion failed to come
off, 1t left the field clear for the
Russians, and when their legions
finally marched into Yugoslavia
there was the nucleus Of Com
munist government already in ex-
istence in the persons of Marshal
Tito and his Partisans.
Admittedly, Gen. Mihailovich
fought the Communists as well as
the Germans, and admittedly he
was an ineffective resistance leader
after the summer of 1912. But If his
fight against the Germans was
weak, because of lack Of supplies,
1See YUGOSI,AVIA. Page C-5.)