FIVE DEMANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 7

FIVE DEMANDS.

ON YUGOSLAVIA.

Reported German Terms For

Assistance.

United Press Association.—Cnpyrlsht. (Reed. 11 a.m.) LONDON - . Fel». 2-".. Tlio demands made by Hitler on Yugoslavia when lie met the \ ugoslav Premier ami Foreign Minister at Berclit esgaden on February 14, are. according to well-informed Balkan diplomatic circles. understood to inelud": —

(1) u;*oslnvia should maintain neutrality and refrain from any action hampering Herman military operations ill the Balkans.

(2) Permit the u~c of the ugoslav railways for transporting to Salonika Herman war material of all kinds, accompanied by troops or not at the option of the Ueich.

(:!) Yugoslavia ~h"iild >i?n a s|>crial undertaking ing (iormany and Italy

binding guarantee* al«>ut future foreign ]iidicv.

(4) Yugoslavia -lioiild allow the southern extremity of what was formerly Serbia to be militarily occupied for laying down aerodromes and other vital military appoint incut s.

(3) Yugoslavia should overlook frontier violations and refrain from inloriiinir Herman troops who. in the course of military o|H*rations might l>e forced to cuter Yugoslav territory. The territory referred to is chiefly the Yarda Yallcy. below N'ish.

In consideration of the fulfilment of these demand* the Axis I'owew promised to cede to Yugoslavia the Italian Adriatic town of Zara. to j»ermit Yugoslavia to annex northern Albania, to grant Yugoslavia a much larger free port at Salonika than the present one. Salonika itself becoming Bulgarian, to grant Yugoslavia the Greek part of Macedonia.

The correspondent of "The Times" on tho Yugoslav frontier, commenting on the demands, says the present inclination of tho Belgrade Cabinet is to accede to the Axis demands, because if Yugoslavia were attacked now she would inevitably suffer mortal harm, especially in Croatia, where the national defences are still incomplete.

If Yugoslavia defied the Axis she •ould only expect ruthless violation, once that attitude would effectually "rustrate all the Axis demands.

Balkan diplomatists believe the Herman advance to Salonika will start at the end of this week or the beginning of the next.

'I'lio cinema manager who showed the newsreel of King George and Queen Elizabeth. which caused such a proBritish demonstration that it was banned, has been sentenced to .'JO days' imprisonment, according to a message from Belgrade.

LONDON VIEW.

REPORTED OFFER BY NAZIS. (Reed. 1..10 p.m.) RUGBY. Feb. 2-">. The inclination in Britain is to discount reports of the detailed nature of the German offer to Yugoslavia, which it is stated include tie gift of ail Italian Adriatic town. Although it is in keeping with German policy to offer other people's property to facilitate temporary adxantagc. it is probable that German propaganda is behind these reports.

Whatever llie precise nature of the German offer there can be no doubt that acceptance would reduce Yugoslavia to tlie status of a German jirovince.