Evening star., 1948-11-06
Tito's S Aid 10 Markos
Reported Reduced
After Comint!orm Rift
By Leo D. Hochstetter
North Americas Newspaper AIlianes

KASTORIA, Greece, Nov. l (By
AirmaiD There are increasing in
dications that Yugoslav aid to the
mountain bands of Gen. Markos
Vaf1ades, Greek guerrilla chief, is
being cut down slowly and sytem-
Iatically. The evidence is furnished
almost daily by rebel prisoners of
war captured by Greek government
forces.
1t seems clear that the lessening
of the Yugoslavia cooperation with
the Creek guerritas is q reflection
of the clash between Yugoslav Die
tator Marshal Tito and the Comm
form. Markos and his followers
have sided with the Kremlin against
tie Yugoslav leaders, and it is nat
ural to conclude that Belgrade no
longer looks on the Greek guerrilla
cause with its original enthusiasm.
Yugoslav frontiers still remain
open to the guerrillas and harassed
bands of them still cross and recross
freely. However, guerrilla conveys
and supply trains, once conducted
by Yugoslav drivers and escorted by
Tito's armed guards, now travel
alone under their own power.
Training Program Ends.
Moreover, the little Serbian COM
munity of Bulkes, north of Bel
grade, which was turned over to
Markos two years ago as training
center and staging area, is still in
Greek guerrilla hands. Now, how
ever, the training program has been
eliminated and no potential recruits
are to be found there. The Yugo-
Slavs used to make their own per-
sonnel available for help in admin
istering the community, and actu-
ally made contributions in food,
stocks and raw material This aid
has ceased. Today, Bulkes remains
as little more than a haven for the
families of fighting guerrillas who
turn out clothing for their men.
Tito still permits requirements
from Bulgaria to cross YugoSlav ter
ritory en- route to the Vitsi area and
other active sectors in Northern
Greece, but Bulgarian vehicles, once
free to cross Yugoslavia at will, now
are halted at the frontier and the
guerrillas compelled to form and
conduct their own conveys the rest
of the way.
A portion of the aid now reaching
Markos from Yugoslavia, according
to witnesses. comes from orthodox
Communists who defy Tito's orders
whenever possible. The ,skirmish
last September in which a Yugoslav
battalion suffered considerable cas-
ualties from Greek national forces,
after entering Greek territory, was
believed to have been inspired by
pro-Cominform Communists.
Those who hold this belief, point
out that although 81 Yugoslav SOL
diers were killed. Tito suddenly
dropped all negotiations over the
incident and launched no protest
an attitude hardly characteristic of
the strong-willed Yugoslav leader
in the past. 1t is held that the
sortie was contrary to Titos orders.
Greek military authorities and
Allied liaison officers are closely
watching the so-called Korona
pocket a little neck of land in
northern Greece surrounded on
three sides by Yugoslavia Greek
government forces have bottles up
the guerrillas there. They can only
be- supplied from Yugoslavia. If
Tito should deny guerrilla REIN
forcements access to the Korona
pocket from his territory, then,
these observers contend, there would
be no doubt of Yugoslavias ultimate
position.
1t is believed that because Tito
has heretofore presented Markos
and his bands as patriotic fighters
in the cause of freedom, he could
not completely turn on them over
night without losing face with his
own people. If this is true, then it
is logical that he should abandon
MarkoS gradually