ENCIRCLED NATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 51, 1 March 1941, Page 9

ENCIRCLED NATION

YUGOSLAV POSITION

THE THREAT OF THE AXIS

SOUTH-EAST DRlvfe

Yugoslavia's first act when Italy invaded Greece was to declare herself neutral, but she cannot feel safe, says a writer in an English newspaper. Italy's best road to Salonika from Albania runs through Yugoslav Monastir, and she may want to use it. The bombing of Monastir was an unpleasant shock, and the reports of troop movements to defend the southern frontier are easy to believe. Germany, too, may want at any time to help her partner in Northern Greece and would not scruple; dn spite Of the new trading agreement, to invade Yugoslavia if it suited her purpose. In fact, hardly any fresh advance of the Axis Powers in the south-east is possible without securing Yugoslavia either by direct attack or by gradual penetration. All the major routes to Turkey and Greece from Central Europe pass through Yugoslavia, which also controls about 300^ miles Wf the Danube in its central part. "~~ Even before the Rumanian "Anschluss" Yugoslavia's strategic position was bad. A similar operation •" on Austria gave her 150 miles of common frontier with the Reich, and it must be remembered that about two-fifths of her territory belonged to AustriaHungary before the last war, which, together with a considerable German minority, may provide easy claims for a pro-German revision. CLAIMS BY NEIGHBOURS. Hungary still covets the province of Banat, which she lost to Yugoslavia in the last war. BulgEdria used also to have some claims against Yugoslavia, and should that country fall under German sway they can easily be revived. . But greater danger lies in the Italian concentration in Albania. Yugoslavia is completely bottled up in the Adriatic by thj Italians. The fact that Yugoslavia is rich in natural resources does not make the situation any better. The hungry Axis grinds heavily on the Yugoslav economy, and Rome throws covetous glances on Yugoslavia's copper, zinc, lead, and- bauxite, her maize, wheat, livestock, and wood, while the Dalmatian coast has always been one of the aims of Italian expansion. Yugoslavia is preparing to meet the gathering storm. But she is almost isolated. In her dubious position Yugoslavia, who until recently did not recognise the Soviet Government, turned towards Moscow for protection. It was a break with the country's previous anti-Communist policy, which had led.to the signature on March 25, 1937, of the non-aggression pact with Italy, Yugoslavia's old enemy. But, so far, though Yugoslav-Russian relations are good, little has been gained by them. Soviet policy leaves the way open for all sorts of surprises, which, however, have as yet been invariably unpleasant. THE DEFENCE FORCE. The Serbs are splendid fighters. Their courage, endurance, and patriotism won universal admiration in the last war. The Croats and Slovenes have a goo>J fecord from the Austrian Army, in which they served under the Habsburgs. Yugoslav national defence is based on general conscription with eighteen months' service. The age classes from 21 to 40 form the front troops, the age. classes from 41 to ,60 years supply the second-line contingents. On peace footing the Yugoslav army numbers about 120,000 men, but under partial mobilisation now in force there must be some 700,000 with the colours, while there are still over a '.million trained reserves. I Yugoslavia has also a considerable air force, which was estimated in 1936 at over 1000 machines, and must have grown since then. Most of the material is somewhat obsolescent. Yugoslavia has, however, purchased about 200 Hurricanes and other planes from Britain, and the State-owned factory in Zemun had a licence to produce Blenheim bombers, which now is no use, since it is no longer. possible to obtain the necessary engines from Britain. A SMALL FLEET. The fleet of the Triple Kingdom has little chance of opposing Italian naval power. It consists of an old German cruiser, completed in 1899, Of 2370 tons, armed with six 3.4in guns; a flotilla leader of 1880 tons, built in 1938, carrying four 5.5in and two 3.4in guns, six 40mm. A.A. guns, and six 21in torr pedo tubes, capable of 37kn.; three new French destroyers with top speeds of 38kn., armed with four 4.7in guns, four 40mm. A.A. guns, and six 21in torpedo tubes; eight old Austrian tor-pedo-boats, four submarines, five minelayers, an aircraft tender of 1820 tons carrying ten aircraft, smaller sea vessels, and river monitors. The proximity of Italian sea and air bases makes these forces ineffective. .There is also some shortage of heavier armaments, though Yugoslavia produces her own rifles and machineguns. But the Yugoslavs have a great ally in the nature of their country. The Albanian border is fringed with trackless and rugged mountains, as also the Dalmatian coast. High mountain ridges form natural obstacles, to

any motorised advance from Italy: or

Austria, while the river system of the Danube, Drava, and Sava presents excellent bpportunities for defence. A sudden thrust through Hungary would be most dangerous, but even there the rivers provide good defences. Yugoslavian frontiers have been partly fortified and there are some coastal fortifications, notably near Zara and the Bocche di Cattaro, close to the Albanian border. NO CHANCES TAKEN. Yugoslavia takes no chances. Strong measures have been taken against parachutists and the "fifth column." The Sokol, a nation-wide fitness association with a membership of 300,000, which in 1929 became a State institution, is playing the part of the Home Guard. The Yugoslavs love their freedom and are a fighting race. So that, whatever 'conciliatory measures they may be forced to adopt to stave off the danger, there would ordinarily be no doubt that they would fight -if the worst comes to the worst. There is no slightest hesitation on that point in theattitude of the Yugoslav nation. The determination to resist is universal, and it has been recently voiced by the Yugoslav Prime Minister, Mr. Cyetkovic, in his speech at Skoplje. Yet it, is not quite clear whether Yugoslavia, will be able to.resist "peaceful" pene- j tration. . j