FOOLISH FIGHTING

Evening Star, Issue 25005, 26 October 1943, Page 3

FOOLISH FIGHTING

YUGOSLAV GUERRILLAS CLASH POLITICAL DIFFERENCES THE CAUSE (Rec. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 25. Bitter fighting is going on in Yugoslavia between Chetnik and Partisan forces. The People's Army of Liberation (General Tito's Partisans), in a communique says that the attacks were initiated by the Chetniks, led by General Mikhailovitch. General Mikhailovitch in a message to the Yugoslav Government in exile blames the Partisans for the conflict. Forces have clashed in Montenegro and near the old Albanian-Greek frontier. The Partisans allege that General Mikhailovitch's men were supported by a detachment of Germans.

Correspondents point out that these are the first clashes between rival sections of Yugoslav guerrillas reported for some- time. It was recently reported from Cairo that King Peter had ordered General Mikhailovitch to avoid all further clashes with the Partisans.

The Chetnik forces still regard the Partisans as extreme Leftists and as a much greater danger to post-war. Yugoslavia than are the Germans. Correspondents sav that this is an unfair allegation. Tliere are only small elements of Communists, and in any case these, according to reliable reports, have dropped all politics to fight the common enemy—Fascism;