CASE AGAINST MIKHAILOVIC

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24900, 13 June 1946, Page 5

CASE AGAINST MIKHAILOVIC

WAR CRIMES TRIAL IN BELGRADE GENERAL REFUSES TO PLEAD BELGRADE, June 11. T do not feel guilty,” was the only reply which General Mikhailovic would make to the president’s demand lor a direct plea of guilty or not guilty when his trial on charges of collaboration with Germany and Italy and other war crimes was continued toThe prosecutor, earlier, in winding up the case against General Mikhailoyc, alleged that the Jugoslav emigre wyemment, during the war, used the British Broadcasting Corporation to transmit coded messages instructing him to co-operate with the occupation torces against the National Liberation Anny. The Government, at the same gte, spread false reports of General Mikhailovic’s activities to conceal his real role. The prosecutor -added that, in addition to other crimes, General Mikhaicommanded the dreaded Chetnik Black Three” murder organisation, members of which always stabbed their victims to death. Pact with Partisans When the Court tried to pin him to •n admission that he had organised ? 8 Chetniks, General Mikhailovic insisted that he organised the army to ught the invaders. He agreed that he pact with the Partisans in they would not attack one “other, but he added that he could jot do anything with many of the ‘ r °ops of which he was the commanAfter Russia entered the war he “iscussed his problems with the Partifor a few days. Mutual aid was JBcussed, but he thought that the [“Hisans wanted to go too fast. ShortJy. a ™ r 1941 P ac t with the PartiEJJ p British liaison officer, Captain jjoson, brought a message from Cairo cn ttiat tlie Middle East Command f tlw t Partisans should for Jugoslavia and not for the communist cause of Russia. u?t e .pv’ in g to the prosecutor. General said that when no made wi th the Partisans he intend- ®» g ht the invader. “At the moJ did not think it possible to 116 sa id.Z- ed whether he led an attack iSJJJ 8 ! the Partisans in 1941, General ?“*nailoyic said: “Yes, I did. I could a consider them my allies.” e added that he was the first to snt the Germans, and “Partiw.ere the first to oegin attacking cities.” .General Mikhailovic admitted that the Germans in the second °f November, 1941. After five divisions had attacked his o “A met a German emissary in Wan» ian vintage of Divtchi, as he f>// ect to prevent the people suffering man n itive expeditions The GergJJ. asked him to surrender ’.'rcondithp n y - refused, and 10 days later to rman s attacked. He suggested exile Government that overhe r 8 . ou id be made to Russia, but Gnvo^S a reprimand from the teu e?nn3ent - which said that he must or f he Western Powers for supi Government Directives I Wor^5 ral Mikhailovic agreed that he 1 °n directives from the exile but he said that he did |jjrj£e orders from the British, “be- ■ I did not want Jugoslavia to be-

come 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 the 8.8. C. broadcasts. The British Government knew what was going on. because it passed on messages to the exile Goverfiment, which did not forbid him to attack the Partisans and did not order him to fight the Germans immediately. General Mikhailovic said that his treatment after his arrest v had been correct. , ; . . . . When shown a record of his interrogation after his arrest, General Mikhailovic said that he ccu’d net remember giving it He had not been ill-treated, but his health was very poor. General Mikhailovic frequently replied to questions with, “I can’t remember.”