Evening star., 1949-03-16
Cominform Followers
Reported Stepping Up
Drive 10 Gust Tito
By the Assoeiotsd Press

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TRIESTE. Mar. l6.-Devoted
followers Of the Kremlin again
are crying for the scalp of Pre-
mier Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia.
Moscow's apparently renewed
drive agains the renegade" Yugo-
slav leader is reported to have
internal. as well as external. as
poets.
Reports filtering out from be-
hind Tito's private little Iron Cur
tain viz travellers. foreign embas-
sizes and other sources tell of do
mestic difficulties in Yugoslavia
These reports, none Of them con-
firmed, have popped up in several
places.
The Conservative newspaper
Ultimissimo here said yesterday
that Tito soon will meet some
Western world personalities in
view of the internal situation OF
Yugoslavia."
Macedonia Situation Delicate.
The Italian news agency Astra
said the internal situation in
Tito's domain is particularly del
icate in Macedonia, where Bull
garian and Macedonian Commu-
nists faithful to the Cominform
continue to push an active prop
asanda campaign against the Bel
grade government"
UltimisSimo also said pro-
Cominform propaganda "is
spreading successfully" in Yugo-
Slavia.
In Paris, French Foreign Min
istry sources said they are closely
watching the situation in South
east Europe. Ministry officials
said they had no definite informa-
ton on any imminent move there,
but concern is felt At the pros
pect of q revival by Russia Of the
independent Macedonia idea,
which would be likely to encoun-
ter stiff opposition from Yugo-
slavia.
Such a Macedonian state would
embrace the southern tip OF
Yugoslavia, a piece of Bulgaria
and of Albania and a portion OF
Greece around Salonika..
Diplomatic and intelligence
sources in Istanbul said yesterday
something may be about to pop
In Yugoslavia. One source who
refused to be identified said he
believed the overthrow of the Tito
regime is imminent.
Criticism from Moscow-line
Communists outside Yugoslavia
has been loud since the Yugoslav
Reds split with the Kremlin and
Cominform.
They accused Tito of straying
from the MarxiSt-Leninist line as
expounded by Prime Minister
Stain and pursuing a policy
hateful" to the Soviet Union.
The latest blast came from
Communist Vice Premier Matyas
Rakosi of Hungary. Rakosi, re-
ported to be the strong man" OF
the Communist dominated Hun
sarian government, said Tito and
his followers betrayed the cause
of peace and joined the imperial
lists"
The people Of Yugoslavia vii
return sooner or later to the fam
lily of the peoples democraciel
Communist nations)," he said.
Tito has hit back at the Comm
form many times. He also has
charged the Cominform nations
with cutting down trade with
Yugoslavia in order to hinder the
country's economic development.
The Yugoslav leader was be-
lieved to have purged his Com
munist Party Of all those on whom
he could not rely last year.
Since then his followers have
charged that embassies Of Com
munist nations in Belgrade have
aided in spreading propaganda
against him.
Backed Tito in London.
The Yugoslav Communist news
paper Borba recently blasted the
policies Of neighboring Albania
faithful to Mr.. Stain. 1t charged
the Albanians with attempting to
provoke border incidents. Bull
saria and Romania also have been
targets Of heavy attacks by the
Yugoslav press.
Moscow, while anxious to get
rid of Tito and bring Yugoslavis
back among her satellites. does
not appear willing to risk driving
him into the camp Of the West.
Russia has backed Tito's claims
against Austria in the current Big
Four negotiations for an Austrian
independence treaty in London.
II Tito is worried, he hasn't
showed it publicly.
Ultimissirno reports the marshal
is on the island Of Brioni. neal
Pola. He was said to be resting
after an inspection tour Of his