BULLYING TACTICS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 98, 25 March 1941, Page 5

BULLYING TACTICS

STRONG NAZI CAMPAIGN. YUGOSLAVIA’S DANGER. (United Press Association—Copyright) (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, March 24. The extremes to which the Nazis have gone in bullying Yugoslavia, the Regent (Prince Pauli, and his advisers are evident in the news reports reaching London of the efforts made in the course of to-day to cover up the constitutional crisis in Belgrade, and the profound popular Opposition to any concession to Nazi demands in order to enable the Yugoslav Premier (M. Tsvetkovitch) and the Foreign Minister (M. Cincar-Markovitch) to proceed to Vienna at Hitler’s behest. According to these messages, the Yugoslav delegates will travel overnight, and Berlin is already heralding for to-morrow afternoon another wellstaged “diplomatic” triumph. In Belgrade, stop-gaps have, with difficulty, been found to fill two of the Cabinet vacancies caused by the resignation of the three Ministers who refused to acquiesce in any agreement giving the Germans opportunities of increased pressure against Yugoslav independents, and strong influence has been brought to bear on the third to withdraw his resignation. _• Agency reports suggest the authorities are taking strong measures to control any public manifestation of popular discontent with the Government’s decision. It is significant that among the measures announced is an order by the Minister of War confining the army to barracks. There is no reliable information on the character of the instrument to be sighed in Vienna, but even if—-it is not impossible in view of the importance of appeasing the national sentiment and the patriotic fervour of the great mass of the Yugoslav people its published terms are found to fall short of the full German requirements, the Yugoslav Government is in great danger of discovering it has taken a fatal turning which leads in a short time to the humiliation and subjugation which one people after another have suffered since they have put themselves in the power of the Nazis. THE DANGERS PACED.

The British Minister at Belgrade has not tailed in this crisis to bring home to Prince Paul and his Ministers without any equivocation, the dangers which, in the view ol the British Government, they would court in signing any agreement with Gerln the Note presented on behalf of his Government, Mr Ronald Campbell urged the Yugoslav Government against betraying its best interests and historic friendships by compromising with the Axis demands. It may be assumed that the Note also makes clear the attitude which the Bri • h Government would feel bound to assume in that event. Undoubtedly among the results ol any policy of weakness on the part of their Government which the Yugoslav people would most bitterly r n s <-n would be the possible alienation of the feeling of the British people andi the loss of contacts with Britain. ine,> have certainly taken to heart the example of Bulgaria, which has been declared enemy-occupied territory.