War News and Views

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 57, 25 May 1942, Page 3

War News and Views

U.S.A. NOTE TO JUGOSLAVIA "I. have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of April 13, in which (you place on record the protest of the Royal Yugoslav Government with respect to the er of the authorities in control at Belgrade, demanding the surrender of General Mihajlcvic and his staff, and announcing, in the event ol noncompliance, that their families will lie taken as hostages, and iurther that the families or ether persons having contact with, or undertaking assistance to the family of General Mihajlovic will be held in reprisal, and that their property will be held subject to confiscation. The position of this Government with regard to the taking of hostages has already- been made clear. This barbarious practice as a German method of warfare was stigmatised in declaration made public, by the President of the United States in

October 1941, which in turn was made, as your Government is aware, in the joint declaration recently made in London by the representatives of the nations whose territory is now under German domination, proclaiming to the world the resolve of outraged; people that retribution would be enacted. The Government and the people of the United States have watched with admiration the resourceful and heroic operations of General Miliajlovic and his men and are proud to acknowledge the contrbiution of Yugoslav patriots in the common struggle against the forces bent on the destruction of free nations throughout the world and the shocking proclamation to which your note refers is but another of the series of savage and ruthless measures whereby German terrorism has sought to break the spirit of brave men. The Secretary of State, Sumner Welles."