TITO WINS FIRST ROUND OF BATTLE WITH KREMLIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23028, 19 August 1949, Page 5

TITO WINS FIRST ROUND OF BATTLE WITH KREMLIN

LONDON, Aug. 17. Despite the curtailment of economic relations and of high-power propaganda campaigns, the Cominform has failed in its declared object of ousting Marshal Tito, says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. In fact, recent developments indicate that the initiative is passing to Marshal Tito.

Observers in London regard the appointment as a Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister of,M. Anatoli Lavrentiev, exAmbassador in Belgrade, as an admission that Moscow’s year-old campaign against Marshal Tito has failed and that an infusion of new. blood is needed. \ M. Lavrentiev probably has more first-hand knowledge of present-day Yugoslavia than any other high Soviet Official.

With him in a key position in the Kremlin, it would be reasonable to suppose that the Soviet policy towards Marshal Tito is being recast in the light of M. Lavrentiev’s experience. Tito’s Position Improved Recent developments which indicate that Marshal Tito's position is improving despite the efforts of the Cominform, are:—

1. The agreement with Italy whereby Marshal Tito, once surrounded by potential enemies, has secured his rear. 2. The position on his flanks has eased. Yugoslavia has signed an agreement with Hungary to prevent border incidents, once numerous. Albania, on the other hand, has been preoccupied with the Greek fighting. 3. Marshal Tito has recently returned from a much-publicised visit to Macedonia which has focussed attention on the idea of a united proYugoslav Republic of Macedonia which has a strong emotional appeal to the Slav Macedonians.

Marshal Tito has backed up this campaign by stationing crack Croatian troops in the Yugoslav part of Macedonia and by fostering reports of 30,000 refugees gathered from Bulgaria in Greek Macedonia.

The appointment of M. Lavrentiev may have been made, observers think, to formulate Moscow’s answer to this challenge.