JUGOSLAV COMMUNISTS APPEAL TO MOSCOW

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25537, 3 July 1948, Page 7

JUGOSLAV COMMUNISTS APPEAL TO MOSCOW

Mr Stalin Asked To Erase “False Accusations”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 1 a.m.) BELGRADE, July 2. A mass meeting in Belgrade of 15,000 Jugoslav Communist Party members sent an urgent telegram to Mr Stalin, saying: “Do everything in your power to bring out the truth in answer to the Cominform charges.” The meeting sent a second telegram to the central committee of the Jugoslav Communist Party, expressing faith in Marshal Tito and the committee. According to the Associated Press correspondent in Belgrade, the Jugoslav Communists appealed to Mr Stalin to erase “the false accusations” made by the Cominform against Jugoslavia and Marshal Tito.

A split in the Jugoslav Communist Party over the Cominform’s criticism is believed by observers in Belgrade to be inevitable. They say that Russia has a strong appeal for many Jugoslavs, but that Marshal Tito commands the fanatical loyalty of some party members, especially the youth. Observers think it possible that the party’s leaders will modify their views and rejoin the Cominform. It is thought unlikely that Marshal Tito will break away altogether and join the West Huge pictures of Marshal Tito, flags, and bunting were displayed in Belgrade to direct attention to the national loan. Holiday-making citizens danced and sdng round a collection of booths and crowds gathered wherever Marshal Tito appeared. The Jugoslav Communist paper, “Borba,” featured a front-page photograph of Marshal Tito visiting a city building site, surrounded by political and military leaders.

Hungarian Party “Dismayed” The Hungarian Communist Party. In an official statement, said that Hungarian Communists were “dismayed that the Jugoslavian Communist Party is continuing its erroneous policy.” The Belgrade radio said that the Albanian Ministry of the Interior yesterday closed down a Jugoslav bookshop in Tirana and banned the sale of the Jugoslav Communist newspaper “Borba (in which the Jugoslav Communist Party yesterday called for a federation of Albania and Bulgaria with Jugoslavia in a new Greater South Slav State). The radio added that the Albanian Education Minister had ordered all textbooks mentioning Marshal Tito to be expurgated, had banned songs mentioning Marshal Tito, and had ordered his picture to be removed from public buildings. Jugoslavia had filed a protest with Albania about these “hostile and brutal acts.” A broadcast from the Communist headquarters in Albania said that Albania supported the Soviet in the Communist crisis over Jugoslavia. The broadcast said that the Cominform’s resolutions attacking Marshal Tito had been studied by a special meeting of the Albanian Communist Forty’s- central committee, and the committee was “in full and unanimous accord” with the Cominform. Marshal Tito’s Strength All reports reaching London confirm the belief that Marshal Tito remains in undisputed command in Jugoslavia. His position was strengthened by the Bulgarian denial that the Cominform’s onslaught will in any way alter the firm ties between Bulgaria and Jugoslavia. The Jugoslav Communist Party today published the full details of a programme to be submitted to the party conference which will open on July 21. It does not directly mention the Cominform attack, but it says that Jugoslavia will continue to work in the closest co-operation with her neighbours. Albania and Bulgaria. This is interpreted as direct defiance of the Cominform, which has already denounced any attempt to form a Balkan bloc. Another article in the party programme calls for “peaceful co-opera-tion with all countries which desire to co-operate with Jugoslavia on the Sasis of respecting Jugoslav indepenence and defence of the principles of the United Nations Charter.” It is suggested that this may be construed by Moscow as a direct overture by the Jugoslavs to the Western Powers. Developments since the publication of the Cominform statement all confirm the iffipression that the Jugoslavs are determined to maintain their independence, and that the real basis quarrel is Moscow’s attempt to interfere with Marshal Tito’s policy. Csech Reaction It is noted that although the Communist parties in all the Russian satellite countries, with the exception of Bulgaria, have backed up the Cominiorm’s strictures upon Marshal Tito, the Czech Communists have already asserted that the commercial and military pacts between Jugoslavia and Czechoslovakia will not be affected. Alexander Werth, writing in the Manchester Guardian.” says thet the Cominform statement has all the marks of tlie peremptory style of Mr Zhdanov —Russian representative on the Com|nform— and suggests that if the KremJl 1 ?. • ftn * ds J llO ! 1 briß « Marshal Tito to heel Mr Stalin may issue a statement disowning Mr Zhdanov. In Prague, says Werth, the Czech Comdisfiuise their opinion that Mr Zhdanov has greatly exceeded all permissible limits in speaking to a foreign Power. * The French Communists do not disguise their fears that the expulsion of Jugoslavia from the Cominform will influence many waverers who were rn e rXmnn 1 i y i lnClined French Communist camp. The nresent official membership of the French Communist Party is about 1,000.090. It his been that there are nearly 4j000.000 Frenchmen who support the Communists without being active members of the party. It is among this considerable number of “fellow «eX°"d. th ‘ Mom Mi Jacques Duclos, French Communist representative on the Cominform. in an article in “L'Humanite" described the Jugoslav reply to the Cominform as “a tissue of gratuitous affirmations. If y ou defv toe Soviet Union you become the instrument J the imperialists,” he said.