NEW POLICY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 157, 29 March 1941, Page 11

NEW POLICY

Prime Minister’s Statement INTERNAL ORDER Desire For Peace With Neighbours LONDON, March 28. The aims and policy of the new Government in Yugoslavia were laid down in a statement issued today by the new Prime Minister. “In these, grave days the people of Yugoslavia have felt uneasy at the handling of public affairs. This situation showed itself in recent days so strongly as to be a menace to public order, and the changes brought about under pressure were inescapable. “I appeal to all citizens to help the Government to accomplish the first task —the maintenance of order internally and peace abroad. I appeal to all | patriotic Yugoslavs to renounce all de- | monstrations calculated to impair rei lations with neighbouring peoples, with ■ whom we desire to live in peace and friendship as in the past. “I ask you not to let yourselves be led into irresponsible acts. Let us look after our own interests.. Strict order will be the correct attitude in the first phase of the task. “We shall remain on guard and shall endeavour to fulfil all obligations and tasks before us,” he said. Queen Marie In England. Queen Marie of Yugoslavia has been in England since the outbreak of war and two sons are at school in Wiltshire. She heard of the coup by radio 1 and has been frequently in touch with Belgrade since the crisis, telephoning encouragement to King Peter. Prince Paul, the Begent, went to Greece at i his own request. M. Tsvetkovitch and M. Markovitch. former Premier and Foreign Minister, who were arrested, have been released and. allowed to return home. Germans living in many of Belgrade’s leading hotels are already packing up. The semi-official news agency Avala says: “The change of Government in Yugoslavia is purely a matter of home policy and not one of foreign policy. The people have unanimously shown that they would not tolerate a Government which did not express the will of the people, and therefore they demanded a National Government reflecting their true aspirations. Such i; the exact'sense and scope of the change in the management of State affairs. It is made with the entire approval of the whole country.” Army’s Allegiance 1 . The Belgrade radio has appealed to all garrisons in Yugoslavia to support the new Government and to maintain calm and order. The army has taken the oath of allegiance to the new war Ministers. The Yugoslav Sokol (athletic movement) has called on all its members to assemble at local headquarters and await, instructions. The Germans were not Informed by wireless of events in Yugoslavia till 4.8 p.m., when the Berlin radio announced that a military coup d’etat took place at dawn. Telegraphic communications with Belgrade were subjected to severe restrictions after midnight. Schools and restaurants were closed and there were violent anti-Axis demonstrations

in the provinces before the coup took place, a number of people being killed. The Berlin news agency says that Yugoslav authorities stopped a passenger train on the Hungarian frontier today, “providing a further interruption of communications which has to be reckoned with.” The Yugoslav people learned of the in the Government in a proclamation issued by King Peter, who would normally have been King in September, this morning in which he announced that he had taken over the Royal power from the members of the Regency Council. He appealed to all Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes to carry on and stand behind the Throne. Later, King Peter issued a second proclamation : “The Regents resigned because they realized their errors.” ho said. “I have already begun to exercise the Royal functions. I appeal to all Serbs. Croats, and Slovenes to continue with their normal work.” Demonstrations of loyalty have continued all day, and telegrams of support have poured in from all parts of the country. Among the hundreds of messages of loyalty and congratulations received today was a pledge from the Association of Reserve Officers, which last week broke up in protest after condemning the action of the Government. AH the officers of the reserve are said to be awaiting the King's call with great enthusiasm. King George VI of Britain is the . godfather of King Peter, who was attending a preparatory school in Lon- I don when his father, King Alexander. ! was murdered I