BRITISH HOPE

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

BRITISH HOPE

Nazi Pact May Be Disowned PREMIER’S PROMISE Help If Yugoslavs Stand Firm (British Official Wireless.) (Received March 28, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, March 27. M’r. Churchill has taken the earliest possible opportunity of announcing that Britain will recognize the new Government of Yugoslavia. He was fulfilling his second important speaking engagement of the day at a luncheon of welcome by employers and workers organizations to the new United States Ambassador, Mr. Winant. After referring to the fact that his Government rests as one of its main sources of strength on the trade union organization of the country, Mr. Churchill referred to the “good news” about the latest development in the political situation in the Balkans, lie said: “It was breaking all our hearts to i see the gallant Serbian and Yugoslav 1 people signing away their souls over j the counter by weak and cowardiv | rulers to those who, once they had I them in their grip, would have shaken the life and independence out of them. I rejoiced when I heard just an hour . before this luncheon that a revolution bad taken place in Belgrade and that the Ministers who signed this pact had been arrested. “Though 1 do not know what will happen, and one cannot be sure of anything, I believe it is reasonable to expect that we shall have a Government hi Yugoslavia which will repudiate the pact signed the day before yesterday and be ready to defend the honour and frontiers of Yugoslavia against aggression. If that is so, Britain will recognize that Government. Britain will give all the aid in her power to those who are defending their native land—to the heroic Greeks, and the Turks if they are attacked. We are not so strong as we shall be when our plants have delivered their fruits and our great factories produced their weapons. But still we are getting stronger every day.’ The significance of the dramatic .change of Government in Yugoslavia is justly appreciated in informed quarters in London. The widespread popular demonstrations have made it clear that the Government which last Tuesday signed the document in Vienna pledging Yugoslav adherence to the Tripartite Pact was out of touch with popular sentiment. The growing evidence of the past few days that the people would no longer tolerate a Government which did not express their will prepared the way for today’s coup d’etat. The bloodless character of this resounding event and the satisfaction with which the assumption of power by a Government which reflects the national aspirations has been received throughout the Serb, Croat and Slovene State is regarded here as sufficient indication that the new national Government has the entire approval of the country. What of Future? To what extent the change will be openly reflected in the foreign policy of Yugoslavia remains to be seen. Primarily, of course, this latest development is a domestic matter, but it will inevitably be considered abroad against the background of the most recent events. Yugoslavia’s departure on Tuesday from the policy of strict neutrality, it was observed, stunned the Yugoslav people. For two days their country co-operated with Germany. Today’s events disown that policy. Two courses are now open to Yugoslavia. Time will show whether Ger I many’s attitude will permit of the 1 continuance of the former neutral pol- t icy or impel Yugoslavia to co-operate t with Britain and her allies. -In view 1 of the note of triumph with which oue i of the German newspapers yesterday i recorded Yugoslavia’s adhesion to the i pact, describing it as a diplomatic f Dunkirk, for Britain, the reaction to i the latest development in Berlin is « awaited with interest. So far there I appears to be an understandable s silence. It may be assumed that Ber- t lin’s visitor, Mr. Matsuoka, who only I yesterday issued a message to the German people declaring the Japanese nation to be with them in joy and sorrow, scarcely reckoned on this swift disturbance of Nazi machinations.