RUSSIAN TROOP MOVEMENTS IN THE BALKANS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1949, Page 5

RUSSIAN TROOP MOVEMENTS IN THE BALKANS

LONDON, September I.—“ Reports of Russian troop movements on Jugoslavia’s borders are "not published in Belgrade’s newspapers, but Jugoslavs who have heard the reports are taking them seriously,” says the Belgrade correspondent of The Times. “Nevertheless the possibility of any military action against Jugoslavia continues to be strongly discounted. The Jugoslav Army does not appear to be takeng any special precautions.” The Government newspaper Borba, commenting on the Russian Note which had declared that Jugoslavia had betrayed her own interests over her claims on Slovene Carinthia, said that the Soviet Government had changed its attitude on Jugoslavia’s claims for “foul reasons.” The newspaper alleged that Russia had accused Jugoslavia of betraying Carinthia because Russia herself was bargaining for dollars and similar ■ benefits under the Austrian treaty. i Borba added that the verbosity of the Russian Note showed that Russia was on the defensive. Speculation At Lake Success Reuter’s correspondent at Lake , Success says that United Nations offi- | cials believe it very probable that' Jugoslavia will bring a complaint against Russia to the Security Coun-. cil. Neither the British nor American delegations plan to take the initiative in the matter. They prefer to leave it to the Jugoslav Government to decide whether its dispute with Russia con- j stitutes a situation likely to endanger i world peace. I

Marshal Tito is planning to form his own Cominform to unite Communists who are tired of Russian political domination, according to the United Nations World, an independent politican journal published in New York.

“Marshal Tito’s Cominform would be a world-wide organisation of Communists outside Russia, and would compete formidably with Moscow’s international apparatus,” it says. “Economically . the dogma of Marshal Tito’s organisation would be to maintain the principle of State ownership of all means of production. It would differ sharply from Soviet practice politically, however, in that control of the State by a single party would be modified in favour of the idea of the Fatherland or National Front. This front would comprise organisations such as trade unions and farmers’ and women’s and youth groups. “Members of the new Cominform would be able to conduct their internal affairs without having to conform constantly to the needs and dictates of the central organisation. The core of the plan is a Balkan federation.”