NAZI PRESSURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 71, 25 March 1941, Page 7

NAZI PRESSURE.

BULLYING TACTICS.

Attempts To Hide Facts From

The Public.

RrilUli Offirial WJrelrss. Iltecd. 2 p.m.) l:r«;nv. Mar. 21. The extremes to which the N"a/.i> have gone in bullying the Yugoslav Repent, Prince Paul, and his advisers is evident in news reports reaching London of efforts made to-dav to cover up the constitutional crisis in Belgrade and the profound jw>pular o]>|>ositiou to any concession to the Nazi demands, in order to enable the Yugoslav Premier. M. Tsvetkovitch, and the Foreign Minister, M. CinearMarkovitch, to proceed to Vienna at Hitler's behest.

According to these message*. the Yugoidav delegates will travel overnight, and Jlerlin i* already heralding for to morrow afternoon another well staged "diplomat it-"' t riuiuph.

In Belgrade. stopgap- have with ditliculty been loiuul to lit] two of the Cabinet \ acaiicie* caused I«the resignatioii of three Ministcxs who refused to a< quietscc in any Hgrccnient giving the Hermans the oppot t unit ie*= of increased prc-sure against independence, and stroll" inllue.nee has lieen brought to lien r on a third to withdraw hiresignation. Agency reports suggest that the authorities are taking strong measures to control any public manifestation of popular discontent with the Government's decision.

It- is signilica nt that among t lie measures announced i- an order by ihe Minister of War confining ihe armv to barracks.

I here is no reliable information 011 the character of the instrument to \ ienna, but even if its published terms are found to fall - short of the full Gorman requirements, the Yugoslav Government is in great danger of discovering it has taken a fatal turning which will lead in a short time to the humiliation and subjugation which one people after another have suffered since they ha vo put them selves in the power of the Nazis.

The British Minister at Belgrade. Mr. Ronald Campbell, has not failed in this crisis to bring home to Prince Paul and his Ministers, without any equivocation, the dangers which, in the view of tinBritish Government, they would court in signing any agreement with Germany.

In a Note presented on behalf of his Government. Mr. .Ronald Campbell hn« urged the Yugoslav Government against betraying its best interests and historic friendships by compromising with the Axis demands. It may be assumed that the Note also makes clear the attitude which the British Government would feel bound to assume in that event. Undoubtedly, among the results of any policy of weakness on the part of their Government which the Yugoslav people would most bitterly resent, would be the possible alienation of the feeling of the British people and the loss of contracts with Britain. Thcv have certainly taken to heart the example of Bulgaria which has been declared enemy-occupied territorv.