SHARP PROTEST

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 7

SHARP PROTEST

Americans in Yugoslavia Many Deaths in Prison Camps Others Used for Slave Labour (Rec. noon.) WASHINGTON, October 18. The United States has sent a Note to Yugoslavia declaring that many Americans have died in Yugoslav prison camps and others- were being used for slave labour.

The Ambassador, Mr Richard PatterEotf, called at the, Yugoslav Foreign Office in Belgrade, and delivered the Note, which said: “ It appears that American citizens who were convicted of no crime whatever have been confined in Government camps, in which some have died as the result of the conditions and treatment. The Yugoslav State is hiring out others to private individuals for farm labour, factory labour, and other forms of hard labour, for which personally they received no remuneration whatever “ It further appeal's that the Yugoslav Government is receiving 15 to 50 dinars daily from the employers of these unfortunate victims, who receive only shelter and food as the employer deems fit and who are compelled to work as many as 12 hours a day. “ The United States Government states its abhorrence and condemnation of these practices. They are violations of the established principles of international law governing the protection of foreign subjects. They constitute involuntary or forced labour in denial! of the natural rights of human beings and possess no features distinguishable from slave labour. “ International tribunals have repeatedly held that such treatment of a nation’s citizens abroad disregards civilised standards of justice and that it engages the responsibility of the State to the full extent of the damages suffered by the individuals concerned. “ The United States rejects the Yugoslav protest in its Note of September 7 against characterisation of this practice as slave labour and denies the Yugoslav statement that the practice is in harmony with the laws

and customs of civilised peoples. Even for prisoners captured in tne heat of battle the Geneva Convention provides for the retention of individual 1 civil rights, including proper feeding, shelter, clothing, treatment, and reasonable regulation of working hours. “ Thus the treatment of war prisoners is superior to the practice of the Yugoslav Government regarding individuals claiming the nationality of a friendly Power which contributed materially to Yugoslavia’s liberation and subsequently contributed to the reconstruction of Yugoslav economy. “The United States deplores Yugoslavia’s attitude as evinced in the Notes otf September 7 and August 13, and expects that remedial steps will he promptly taken.” The State Department revealed that 165 American citizens were being used as slave labourers in .Yugoslavia. At least 10 other Americans died in prison camps. All the imprisoned Americans had been convicted without trial on . a blanket charge that they were of German blood, hence presumed guilty of collaborating with the Germans during the occupation of Yugoslavia. At the same time, the State Department revealed that’ scores of other Americans now labouring in slave camps somewhere in the Soviet Union, were transported by the Soviet army in 1944-45. The latter group comprised Americans seized by the Russians in Poland, . Rumania, Yugoslavia, and Hungary. The United States was trying to arrange for their release on an individual basis, but a blanket protest will he sent to Moscow if that fails.