JGOSLAV ACCOUNT OF INCIDENTS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24960, 22 August 1946, Page 5

JGOSLAV ACCOUNT OF INCIDENTS

he Belgrade radio says that Mar- • Broz told a workers’ audience he himself witnessed the forced ling of a foreign aeroplane on MonHe said false statements had i made that the aeroplane had not i given the signal to land and that ras fired on after landing. Jvery day not only civilian aeroles, but squadrons of military iplanes fly over our territory,” he . “Such violations of our frontiers not stop after I had raised the ter. I recently handed over a Note ch quoted new instances of violas’ Was anything done to solve the ter? No. Nothing was done.” he Jugoslav Note alleges that an easing number of Allied across. particularly American, have n daily over north-west Jugoslavia e February. “These flights, which e assumed a systematic character, continually disturbing and violatJugoslav sovereignty,” it says, he Note adds: “A Dakota flew over bljana airfield on August 9 and not respond to international call is from Jugoslav fighters to land, er vigorous intervention by our ters the aeroplane was forced to L It had eight military personnel

and two civilians aboard. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into the incident.

“On August 19 a United States aeroplane flew over Bled (where Marshal Broz is at present staying). “The Jugoslav air authorities continuously between 8.50 a.m. and 9.2 a.m. invited it to land, but it refused. Jugoslav fighters forced it to land, and in landing the aeroplane caught fire.” The Note expresses regret, but claims that the responsibility lay with the American authorities, who had been warned about unauthorised flights, and with the crew of the aircraft, who did not follow the invitation to land. The Note added: “In the last seven days 43 United States military aeroplanes have flown over Jugoslav territory.” The United States Ambassador to Belgrade, commenting on the Note, said: “Eighteen months ago United States aeroplanes were asked for and welcomed. Now they ‘ are shooting them down.”

“Our pilots did the right thing and they did not do anything not in accordance with Jugoslav or international rights,” said a high Jugoslav Government spokesman.