YUGOSLAV ADMISSION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 265, 22 August 1949, Page 3

YUGOSLAV ADMISSION

NEGOTIATIONS ON AUSTRIA . “Behind Back of Russia” (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright) (Rec. 10.10) BELGRADE, Aug. 21. The Yugoslav Government today admitted that it had conducted negotiations on Austria with Britain “behind the back of’ Russia. The admission was made in the Yugoslav reply to the Russian Note of August 12, which described Tito’£ Government as “the enemy and opponent of the Soviet Union'”

The Yugoslav Note said the Yugoslav Government was of the opinion that the “offensive tone of the , Russian Note did not warrant a reply,” but added: “The Yugoslav Government, however, wants to refer- to certain facts completely distorted in the Soviet Note for the purpose of defend-, ing history’s truth on the question of the abandonment of Slovene Carintliia.” The Note said it was not correct, as the Soviet Note alleged that the Yugoslav Government had renounced claims, to Slovene Carinthia at a time when the Soviet Government had consistently. given the Yugoslav Govern-' ment the impression that there was practically no hope that its claims would be adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers and Mr Molotov and Mr Vyshinsky had said they were kept on the agenda only to facilitate a positive solution of the question, of German property in Austria for the Soviet Union.

No Other Way Out . The Yugoslav" Note added that the Yugoslav Government not only never renounced and never stopped fighting for the incorporation .of Slovene Carinthia in Yugoslavia, but that it also never was willing to give in had it not been for the Soviet Government’s demand, and because it had no other way out. The Soviet Government hot only ceased to support Yugoslav claims for the incorporation of Slovene Carinthia, but even demands for minor frontier alterations. Replying to the Soviet allegation that Yugoslavia had conducted negotiations on Austria with Britain “behind, the back” of Russia, the Note admitted such negotiations, but said the approach of the Western Powers was made at the suggestion of Mr Molotov and Mr Vyshinsky. The Note said the Soviet Government had promised the Austrian Government to defend the immutability of Austrian frontiers—a promise which could not remain unknown to the Western Powers then thrust the Yugoslav Government towards those very Powers with its aim of reaching a contrary result. The Yugoslav Note, which was front page news in all Belgrade newspapers, added: “The enemy attitude of the Russian Government is known from a series of Russian Government acts towards Yugoslavia. That attitude is merely the consequence of a campaign which the Russian Government- is conducting, and which is not only against the interests of Socialist Yugoslavia but damaging to the entire anti-imperialistic world democratic front.-” ‘