CHETNIK LEADER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26177, 13 June 1946, Page 5

CHETNIK LEADER

PACT WITH PARTISANS EVIDENCE AT THE TRIAL BELGRADE, June 11. “ I do not feel guilty," was the only reply General Mihailovich would make to the president’s demand for a direct’ plea of guilty or not guilty when the general's trial was continued to-day. Earlier the prosecutor, winding up the case against Mihailovich, alleged that the Jugoslav Emigre Government during the war used the 8.8. C. to transmit coded messages instructing him to co-operate with the occupation forces against the National Liberation Army. The Government at the same time spread false reports of Mihailovich’s activities to conceal his real role. He added that, in addition to other crimes, Mihailovich commanded the dreaded Chetnik “ Black Three," a murder organisation, the members of which always stabbed their victims to death. Attitude to Communists

When the court tried to pin him to an admission that he organised the Chetniks. Mihailovich insisted that he organised an army to fight the invaders. He agreed that he made a pact with the partisans in 1941 that they would not attack one another, but he added that he could not do anything with many of the troops he commanded. After Russia entered the war he discussed problems with the partisans for a few days. Mutual aid was discussed, but he thought the partisans wanted to go too fast. Shortly after the 1941 pact with the partisans a British liaison officer. Captain Hudson, brought a message from Cairo stating that the Middle East Command had considered that the partisans should fight for Jugoslavia, and not for the Communist cause of Russia. Replying to the prosecutor, Mihailovich said when he made the pact with the partisans he intended to fight the invader. “At the moment I did not think it possible to fight.” Asked whether he led the attack against the partisans in 1941, Mihailovich said: “ Yes, I did. I could not consider them my allies.” He declared that he was the first to fight the Germans, and added: “Partisans were the first to begin attacking cities.” Meeting with Germans

Mihailovich admitted that he met Germans in the second half of November, 1941. After five German divisions had attacked his force he met a German emissary in the Serbian village of Divtchi, as he wanted to prevent the people suffering from punitive expeditions. The Germans asked him to surrender unconditionally. He refused, and 10 days later the Germans attacked. He suggested to the exile Government that overtures should be made to Russia, but he received a reprimand from the exile Government, which said that he must rely on the Western Powers for support. Mihailovich agreed that he worked on directives from the exile Government, but he declared that he did not take orders irom the British, “ because I did not want Jugoslavia to become a colony or under the command of any foreign country.” He added that Captain Hudson had some codes which enabled him to get information from 8.8. C. broadcasts. The British Government knew what was going on because it passed on messages to the exile Government, which did not forbid him to attack the partisans, and did not order him to fight the Germans immediately. Mihailovich said that his treatment after his arrest had been correct. When shown a record of his interrogation after his arrest, Mihailovich said that he could not remember giving it. He had not been ill-treated, but his health was very poor. Mihailovich frequently replied to questions: “I cannot remember.”