Yugoslavia on alert as Tito’s end approaches

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 9

Yugoslavia on alert as Tito’s end approaches

NZPA-Reuter Belgrade

President Tito appeared to be close to ideath yesterday after a worsening in his condition. Doctors treating the 87-year-old Yugoslav leader, who has battled for survival for three months, said he had now entered a critical phase. Officials said it seemed impossible that he could hold out much longer. President Tito, communist ruler of this nonaligned Balkan country for almost four decades, has suffered from a wide variety of ailments, each of

them grave enough individually to be fatal.

The ailments include heart weakness, complete kidney failure extensive liver damage, jaundice, pneumonia, inter* al bleeding, and high fever. After the announcement, the State radio broadcast heavier and mor' sombre music. The national news agency, Tanjug, also announced that its international service in English would begin earlier than usual, in view of the President’s critical state. It did not elaborate.

Senior officials, on stand-by for the last few

days, were put in a higher state of alert, and Government offices were manned overnight The bulletin, the second in a day, said: “In the afternoon hours there was a worsening in the health condition of President of the Republic, Josip Broz Tito, which entered a critical phase. Necessary medical measures are being undertaken.” Earlier bulletins had described his condition as exceptionally grave, and officials said there now seemed to be virtually no chance he would survive for long.