Evening star., 1948-09-12

made with the five-year plan. II
one asks a government official fol-
information regarding his particu-
lar department, he shies away like
q frightened horse, terrified Of be-
ing accused of spying for the
enemy-the Fascist beasts"
The entire population goes in feal
of the OZNA, the all-powerful
highly efficient secret police which
Is under the direct command OF Gen
Alexander Rankovitch, Minister o.
the Interior and recently appointed
Vice Premier, one of Tito's closest
supporters. The secret police art
active everywhere, most OF all ir
Catholic Slovenia, the province
most likely to take advantage o1
any internal weakness to rebe
against the Communist yoke. 1r
slovenia 1t is impossible for q for
eigner to talk to Yugoslav; ths
latter would not even acknowledge
a passing greeting. In the country
around Belgrade, however, the
peasants appear more friendly.
What the Tito regime has accom-
plished is the total eradication OF
the old hereditary enmity between
Serb and Croat, which is no longer
even a subject of conversation. To
any one who knew prewar Yugo-
slavia this is q most remarkable
accomplishment and shows more
strikingly than anything else the
country's new unity. For centuries
the animosity between Serb and
Croat, the rivalry between Belgrade
and Zagreb, had been the burning
political issue.
Unity Vital to Tito
Yugoslavia today is a federation
of six peoples republics-those OF
Serbia, Croatia, Sloyenia, Bosnia
HERZEGOVINA, Macedonia and Monte
negro. They are all ruled absolute
ly by Tito and his central govern
ment, Of which all the members
except one, Stanoye Simich. former
Ily Minister of Foreign Affairs anc
now minister without portfolio. are
Communists. There is no dissatis-
faction on the old grounds OF race
or religion, and the Croatian ano
Slovenian Catholics, as well as the
Moslems from Bosnia-who IN turn
supported the Turks, the Austro-
Hungarians and King Alexanderv
are now one with the Serbs In their
loyalty to Tito.
This unity is vital If Tito's am
bilious five-year plan is to succeed.
In short, Tito is trying to make
Yugosiavia self sufficient by large
scale industrialization, and the
utilization of natural resources for
the provision Of hydro-electric pow
er. 1t is probable that the plan
will have to be modified, or at least
extended, owing to the great diff
Guilty in obtaining raw materials
and heavy machinery, as well al
electrical and other equipment. Just
outside Belgrade are several large
factories which had been built by
voluntary labor, but which are still
not being used. as there are no in
ternal fittings, sanitary equipment
or, indeed, machinery. Incidentally
this state OF affairs also applied tt
new blocks of workers fats similar.
ly erected as part of the new hous.
ing scheme.
Skilled Labor Scarce
Another factor which is calculated
to retard the plans progress is th'
shortage of skilled labor. SO marked
is this shortage among Yugoslav
that Tito offered heavy inducement
to German craftsmen, volunteer
who were persuaded to go to Yugo
slavia by the promise Of large sal
aries and former prisoners Of wal
who remained behind when thei
comrades were at last repatriated
They are most unhappy. They com
plain bitterly of their treatment ant
of their food, and there are frequen
crises between them and the Yugo
slavs. The government fears tina
the German technicians will return
home, or will attempt to escape
further, many Of them are believes
to be growing so weak through
undernourishment that they ar
doing little if any work. The salar!
offered them, about $3.50 month, L
not always paid.
/ Former Yugoslavs, who before th'
war had emigrated to Canada
Australia, America and elsewhere
have also been induced, by glamor'
ous and often highly Inaccurate
propaganda, to return home. They
also are completely disguised witt
their working and living conditions
Most Of them wish to leave tn.
country, but when they arrived theil
passports were taken away. As, un'
der Yugoslav law, they remain
Yugoslav citizens even II they hav.
become naturalized citizens Of an.
ether country, they are helpless.
Living Conditions Hard
/ There is no doubt that living con.
ditions In the new Yugoslavia are
exceedingly hard, and will continue
to be hard for . good many years
But on the whole, more people prob.
ably are happier today than the,
were In the prewar days Of freedom
except, Of course, the upper ai1c
middle classes, whose lot Is wha,
would Be expected In . Communists
state. The country Is filed with q