PEOPLE'S WILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 73, 28 March 1941, Page 7

PEOPLE'S WILL.

YUGOSLAV DECISION.

Berlin's Joy Over Pact Was

Premature

(Herd. ].:;(> p.m. > Krcr.Y. Mar. J7. The significance of the dramatic change of Government in Yugoslavia i- justly appreciated in informed quarters in London. Widespread popular demonstrations made it clear that "(lie Government which on Tuesday signed Ihe document at Vienna, pledging Yugoslav adherence to the Tripartite Pact, was on! of touch with popular sentiment.

lirowing evidence in the pai-t few day- that the people would no longer tolerate a < lovernmeiit which did not express their will, prepared the vva \ for lo dav's roup d'etat. The bloodlr-i----rharactcr of t hi- re-oiiiidiug event aul the satisfaction with which the as-ump lion of power by a (iov eminent relied-

ing national a-pira t ions. H.i- teen received throughout the Serb. Croat and Slovene State i- regarded here a<- -titli cieiit indication 11 kit the new National < io\eminent has the entire approval ol the count rv.

To what extent the change will be openly reflected in the foreign policv ol \ugo-lavia icmaius to be seen. Primarily. of course, this late-t development is a donie-t ie. mat t er. but it will inevitably be eon-idered abroad against the background of incut roi-cnt event-.

Yugii-liivia's departure on Tuesday troin a policy of -trict neutrality, it iobserved. -tunned tile \ people. For two day> their country co-operated with (iermany. lo day's events disown that policy.

Two cour-Mfi Tire now upon to uiri>slavia. Tixnr will -how whether tiermany* B<titude will permit the continuance of the former neutral policy or will impel Yugoslavia to cooperate with Britain and her Allies. In view of the note of triumph with which (lermau new-papers yc-terdav recorded Yugoslavia'- adhe-ion to the pact, describing it as a diplomatic Dunkirk for Britain, reaction to the latest development in Berlin has been awaited with interest. So far there appears to be an understandable silence.

li may be assumed thai Berlin's vi-itor. Mr. Matsiioka. .Japanese Foreign Minister, who only yesterday i.-sned a message to the (iernuun people declaring that the Japanese nation will la? with them in joy and sorrow, scarcely reckoned ou this swift disturlcince of Nazi machinations.