GERMAN DEMANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 71, 25 March 1941, Page 8

GERMAN DEMANDS.

YUGOSLAV ATTITUDE.

"FIGHT IF NECESSARY."

"\\ e consider that our country should tight if necessary, even if she should go down in the conflict," said Mr. M. J. •Jakich, president of the Auckland \ugoshiv Club, to-day, speaking on behalf of Cue members of the club and referring to the demands being made on ugoslavia by Germany. "The Yugoslav people in Auckland and province are 1(H) per cent behind the British people. .Most of us have our homes here—l have been in New Zealand for years—and we have a third generation now. Many of our boys are serving in the New Zealand Military Forces."

Mentioning that a special meeting of the club was held last, night to consider the situation. Mr. Jakich said the members were unanimous that they should help the country of their adoption in every way posisiMe. He also referred to the fact that five of their members were • Fust ices of tlie Peace.

Mr. .lakich went on to say that for several hundred years part of their country was under Austrian domination and their freedom was gained by the help of the Allies in the last war.

Ihe club forwarded the following cablegram last night to Prince Paul. Regent of \ ugoslavia :—"We, the executive and members of the Yugoslav Club, Inc., Auckland, New Zealand, have learned with grief of the tremendous pressure and duress which Yugoslavia is subjected to by our traditional enemies, the Axis. The German demands are incompatible with our national honour and independence.

'•Wo strongly protest against yielding to such demands and urge the strongest resistance. The Yugoslav masses remember with gratitude the invaluable moral and material assistance our nation had received from the great democracies in our struggles for the liberation and union o! unr nation. Even now at this late hour their offered help and svmpathv should be accepted. This we "ask you to preserve, and "guard Yugoslavia.' \ou will have our loyal support."