Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-05

troops in those two satellites have
sunk to a pretty low level. Sovie1
soldiers have been stationed there
for nearly 18 months and dis
content has become noticeable.
Insofar as troop movements ir
Hungary and Bulgaria are con-
cerned, it has been established
that Soviet forces there are being
brought up to striking strength
Garrison forces have been re-
placed by new tank units. All
forces have been expanded, new
airflelds are being built and gaso-
line and other combat accessorie.
are being stockpiled in under
ground warehouses and tanks.
At the same time the new Ger
man Army in Eastern Germany il
rapidly being completed. Before
the end of summer force total
ing at least $4,000 men-f1ve di.
visions of infantry, fully equipped
with Soviet rifles, bazookas. ma
chine guns and other weapons
necessary to modern ground forces
will be ready for action.
Tito on the Alert
At the present time. however
the Western Allies are keeping an
anxious eye on Russian troop
movements in Bulgaria and Hun
gary because there is a grow
ing belief that Moscow already
may have decided to strike at
Marshal Tito with such violence
that he will reel and will not be
able to make a stand which will
permit eventual American inter-
vention.
Tito seems to have this in mind
too, these days. His recent warn
ings to his fellow-Yugoslavs not
to depend on any one but them
selves which incidentally would
be good advice for larger coun-
tries, like the United States-were
impelled not so much by the fact
that loans from America were
slow in coming as by his fear that
we may not be able to help him
materially when the showdown
comes.
When Tito broke with Moscow
declaring himself an independent
Communist, he felt that in the
present struggle he could rely or
our physical support. He knows
that Yugoslavia's defeat would
mean the loss of the Eastern Med
iterranean to the Western powers
Tito is fully aware that the col
lapse of Yugoslavia would mean
an abrupt end to Greece's indie
pendence and would place Turkey
in a very tight spot. Nearly two
years ago. when the break be-
tween Moscow and Belgrade &C.
cured, Tito, like most leaders in
Western Europe, believed America
to be potentially the world IS
strongest power.
We had nothing to do with the
break within the Cominform. 1t
was a family quarrel which we
enjoyed while watching from the
outside. AS a matter Of fact, for
several months we looked with
suspicion at the whole thing.
Respects Power
Many trained American official
observers warned that this might
be some new trick on the part of
the Cominform. But it appeared
that we were mistaken. The
hard-headed Croatian dictator re-
fused to play second fiddle to Mos.
COW in his own country. We were
told that If he was attacked he
would fight.
Discreet approaches were made
by Belgrade to Paris, London ano
Washington. We were asked: 1)
To give Yugoslavia substantial helr
by providing the raw materials
and manufactured goods which M
longer were coming from Russia
and her satellites; CD to provide
Yugoslavia with modern factory
equipment, to help her develop
heavy industries which would be
useful in war, and 90 to provide
Yugoslavia with military equip.
ment, particularly planes.
After checking and double.
checking the State Department.
with the concurrence of the Penta.
gon-decided to grant most o!
the assistance requested by Tito
Meanwhile, he had rendered VI
a service worth hundreds of mil.
lions of dollars. He withdrew his
support from the Greek guerrilla.
and forbade them to use Yugosla,
territory as a base for operation.
against the American-supporte
Greek government. The guerrilla
offensive against the Greek gov.
eminent collapsed soon thereafter
The Western powers and Yugo.
slavia went on honeymoon. W.
declared formally that Yugosla'
Was form of government was non,
Of our business, so long as it die
not threaten world peace. II
Western Europe a nationalist
kind of communism called Tito.
ism developed more rapidly thar
expected.
Tito's stock scared in his owl
country. Here was the mighty
Russian empire defied by Yugo.
slavia's dictator and Stain die
not dare, despite the threats mad.
by his henchmen, to draw thu
sword. Typical Communist invec
tives flew back and forth between
Belgrade, Moscow and the satellit,
capitals.
Tito felt pretty good. He be-
lieved that he had finally backed
the right horse-the Western
world, which was willing to hell
him all the way without asking
any kind Of subsection or controls
such as the Soviet did.
Worried Over A-Bomb