FRESH PROTEST

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1946, Page 8

FRESH PROTEST

NOTE TO JUGOSLAVIA

SHOOTING DOWN’OF AMERICAN AIRCRAFT

BELGRADE; BUMFS FLYERS

LONDON. August 21.

All flights by American aircraft io Italy from southern Germany and Austria have been suspended. This was announced by the United States commander in Germany (LieutenantGeneral J. T. McNarney), who added that flights would be resumed as soon as arrangements .for safe passage had been reached with the Supreme Commander, Mediterranean (Lieu-tenant-General Sir William Morgan). This announcement follows a fresh American Note to Jugoslavia, protesting against the attacks by Jugoslav fighters on American transport aircraft. The United States Embassy in Belgrade is renewing the demand .for the release of the crew and passengers of one aircraft, and is asking the Jugoslav Government to say. whether the United States can expect “the usual courtesies, including the right of innocent passage over Jugoslav territory, to United States aircraft deviating from the regular routes under stress and bad weather.” Jugoslav Request.

At the same time a Jugoslav Note to America protests against “constant and systematic flights by United States military aeroplanes over Jugoslav territory.” It asks the United States, Government to take without delay strict measures to ensure that such violations of Jugoslav sovereignty shall cease. The Note describes incidents on August 9 and 19, and, while expressing regret, blames the American authorities, “who had been warned about unauthorised flights,” and the crews of the aircraft for refusing invitations to land when over Jugoslav territory. Marshal Broz-Tito, who was at Bled when one of the incidents occurred, said it was untrue that the American aeroplane had not been given the signal to land. He alleged that every day aeroplanes in whole squadrons were flying over Jugoslav territory. Denouncing the Jugoslav attack against an American aeroplane on August 9 as “an outrageous perform’ance,” Mr. Dean Acheson, the American Acting-Secretary of State, made public a new American Note to Jugoslavia.

The new Note to Jugoslavia says: “It would be the normal wish to render maximum assistance and succour to an aircraft of a friendly nation, forced by navigation hazards in bad weather, over dangerous mountain barrriers, to deviate from its course and seek bearings over Jugoslav territory. On the contrary, Jugoslav fighters have seen- fit, without previous warning, to take aggressive action against such a United States transport, the identification marks of which were clearly apparent, and to force it to crash-land after wounding one of. the passengers. Detention of Personnel. “Subsequently the Jugoslav authorities detained the aeroplane, its crew, and passengers, and refused American consular officials access to it until the United States Embassy made specific representations. “The United States Embassy in Belgrade is instructed to protest most emphatically, and to renew the demand for immediate-release of those of the passengers and crew now able to travel; and also to request an urgent Jugoslav statement whether the United States can expect that the Jugoslav Government will accord the usual courtesies, including the right of innocent passage over Jugoslav territory, to United States aircraft deviating from the regular routes under stress and bad weather.

“The Jugoslav authorities have already received the United States’ assurance that United States planes will not cross Jugoslavia without prior clearance, except when forced by circumstances over which they have no control. The Belgrade radio says that Marshall Broz-Tito told a workers’ audience that he himself witnessed the forced landing of a foreign aeroplane on Monday. He said false statements had been made that the aeroplane had hot been given the signal to land and that it was fired on after landing. “Every day not only civilian aeroplanes, but squadrons of military aeroplanes fly over our territory,” he said. . “Such violations of our frontiers did not stop after I had raised the matter. I recently handed over a Note which quoted new instances of violations. Was anything done to solve the matter? No. Nothing was done.” Jugoslav Allegations. The Jugoslav Note alleges that an increasing number of Allied aeroplanes, particularly American, have flown daily over north-west Jugoslavia since February. “These flights, which have assumed a. systematic character, are continually disturbing and violating Jugoslav sovereignty,” it says. ' The Note adds: “A Dakota flew over Ljubljana airfield on August 9 and did not respond to international call signs from Jugoslav fighters to land. After vigorous intervention by out fighters the aeroplane was forced to land. It had eight military personnel and two civilians aboard. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into the incident. “On August 19 a United States aeroplane flew over Bled (where Marshal Broz-Tito is at present staying). “The Jugoslav ah’ authorities continuously between 8.50 and 9.2 a.m. invited it to land, but it refused. Jugoslav fighters forced it to land, and in landing the aeroplane caught fire.” The' Note expresses regret, but claims that the responsibility Jay with the American authorities, who had been warned about unauthorised flights, and with the crew of the aircraft, who did not follow the invitation to land. The Note added: “In the last seven days 43' United States military aeroplanes have flown over Jugoslav .territory.” The United States Ambassador to Belgrade, commenting on the Note, said: “Eighteen months ago United States aeroplanes were asked for and welcomed. Now they are shooting them down.” A Test Case. The New York Herald-Tribune says: “There is no doubt that young British and Americans have been careless about navigation, or have m other ways foolishly annoyed the humourless authorities across the frontier, but firing without warning on unarmed transport planes is outrageously at variance with friendly relations and demands a complete re-

view of the situation. Russia and her satellites cannot have it both ways. We can‘deal with the Soviet world, either as friends, if they so wish, or as armed opponents. Jugoslavia is a kind of test case.”

The New York Times says that at least some of the Jugoslav munitions which were .used to attack American personnel and property in the series of “Communist front” incidents were obtained under lend-lease, and suggests that President Truman recall all defence equipment from Jugoslavia and Russia, as he is empowered to do under the lend-lease agreements. The New York Daily News, in a leading article, says: “The United States could easily slap down BrozTito, and if this started a European war the British-American alliance could probably pin back Russia’s ears'. “Nevertheless, it would be foolish for America to go,out of its way to fight Russia over Jugoslavia, which is primarily of British concern, because of Britain’s Mediterranean interests.” “Murderer of Mikhailovitch.” The New. York Mirror, calling Marshal Broz-Tito “the murderer of Mikhailovitch” and deploring the United States’ failure to take strong action against Jugoslavia, says: “We have a Government of world appealers who go about trying to feed milk to jungle cats.” The New York Sun says: “If BrozTito is looking for American animosity he has found a sure means of winning it.”