Yugoslavs Beaten by Fifth Columnists

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 99, 28 April 1941, Page 5

Yugoslavs Beaten by Fifth Columnists

MANY ARRIVE IN EGYPT TO EIGHT WITH BRITISH Received Sunday, 7.30 p.m. NEW YORK, April 26. The New York Times’ correspondent (Mr. Sulzberger), who arrived at Ankara last week, declares that the invasion of Yugoslavia was greatly aided by Fifth Columnists. Within 36 hours of the invasion traitors cut almost every important communication in South Serbia and the Yugoslav armies were unable to get in touch with each other. They actually evacuated the Monastir Gap before the Germans were anywhere near, thus enabling the speedy German advance outflanking the British line. The Yugoslavs planned an attack on the Italians in Albania where the Greeks were ready for an offensive but inefficient 1 roop concentrations spoiled the plan and the offensive to Albania never actually began. The Greeks were forced to withdraw from part of Albania in order to co-operate with the Hew Allied defence line based on the assumption that the Monastir Gap would remain closed. binally a majority of the Greek generals favoured capitulation feeling that Greece had already done her part honourably. Nevertheless they kept on fighting and dying in thousands in order to give ‘he British a chance to escape. ugoslav troops and planes who have arrived in the Middle East to join the Allied forces received a warm welcome from the population in addition to the Allied troops to whom they eagerly; recounted their esperieiiccs.