Evening star., 1951-06-11
U. 5. Ready 10 Aid Tito
With Arms Assistance
For YugosIav Defense
By John N. Hishtower
Assoeioted Press Staff Writer

Oficials said today the admin
istration is ready to give Commu-
mist Yugoslavia very substantial"
supplies of arms and military SIP
plies if Marshal Tito's anti-Soviet
government asks such aid.
Arms procurement talks here
between Col. Gen. Kotche Popovic,
chief of the Yugoslay General
Staff, and Defense Department
officials are nearly concluded.
These and earlier discussions
between Yugoslav and American
officials have proceeded on the
assumption that Tito would buy
arms through regular commercial
channels. 1t was understood Gen.
Popovic had been assured of Amer
ican Government assistance in
making purchases if his govern
ment insists on handling the mat
ter that way. /
But indications are he also has
been told that in view of Yugo-
Slavia's financial position it might
be better to seek help under the
American mutual defense pro-
gram. Western European coun-
tries, Greece, Turkey and other
nations obtain billions of dollars
worth of military supplies free
under this program.
Officials, who asked not to be
identified by name, told reporter
that the $8.5 million foreign aid
program which President Truman
recently submitted to Congress
could provide funds for YugoslavI
military assistance on big scale
More limited funds and authority
to start a program are already
available to him under old appro-
priations.
Could Be Half Billion.
While final figures have not
been worked out, some authorities
say that military aid to Yugo-
slavia could run as high as half a
billion dollars with next fiscal
year beginning July +.
Although Yugoslavia, which
broke with Russia three years ago,
has received about $l24 million in
American loans and grants for in
dustrial development and famine
relief. two obstacles have stood in
the way of military assistance.
One, on the Yugoslav side, is
the fact that Tito has followed a
third power" policy as between
Moscow and the west and has
sought to avoid any moves which
might tie him too closely to the
western camp.
The other, on the American side,
has been uncertainty as to Tito's
position in event of serious trou-
BILE with Russia.
Last January Tito had begun
to shift from his position of aloof-
ness in military matters and in
quired about the procurement of
arms in the West. He then had
a. carefully restricted list of
weapons to buy. Subsequently he
submitted a greatly enlarged list.
and it is this list which Gen,
Popovic and military officials here
have been reviewing.
Unable to Finance All.
American officials feel that
Yugoslavia will be entirely unable
to finance the purchase of all the
arms it needs, and that the Sc
icurity interests of this country and
Its Atlantic Pact Allies would bel
well served by supplying Tito with
free American arms.
Eventually, if Tito desired, the
arms aid program could lead to
Standardization of equipment for
his 30-udd divisions along lines
followed by Western European
forces.
To obtain arms aid under
American law, however, Tito
would have to make formal re-
quest for it and sign an agree
ment that it would be used only
for defensive purposes. He also
would have to agree not to trans
fer or sell the arms to any other
country without American con-
sent. The law requires that in any
recipient country an American
military mission be permitted tol
see that the agreement is lived