MIKHAILOVITCH CAUGHT

Chronicle (Levin), 26 March 1946, Page 5

MIKHAILOVITCH CAUGHT

Press Assn.'

Chetnik Army Leader TRIAL AS WAR CRIM1NAL

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Monday, 8.20 p.m. . LONDON, March 24. Belgrade radio quotea an omciai an nouncement that -General Mikhaiiovitcxx was arrested on March 13 and has cee.x in custody since then. The radio said that Mikhailovitch was held responsible by the Yugoslav Government for the death of I0,00u persons. The Associated Press recalls that a halo of romance was woven arounu Mikhailovitch. as a "never say die' h'ghter against the Germans. He was later denounced as liaving with hio Ohetnik Army worked liand in glove with the Nazis. Mikhailovitch 's name cropped up at . the Nuremberg war crimes trial when the Serb Quisling Nedic submitted a-' affidavit asserting that, within four j months of the Nazis' conquest of Yugo j slavia, he paid money to Mikhailovitch j The Yugoslav "authorities regarded Mikhailovitch 's activities so seriousiy that they issued a 600-page volume consisting pf photographs and facsimiles The documents were designed to provc that the former War Minister was a traitor. The Yugoslav authorities have j already stated that Mikhailovitch is to j face trial for treason and war crimes. j The Belgrade radio quoted the Min j Lster of the Interior as telling the Yugo [ slav Parliament that Mikhailovitch | with 11 of his followers, was arrestea j on March 13 in an old forge. The Minister added: "Among man; j criminals trying to evade responsibixuy. i Mikhailovitch was the cleverest. Hl we'nt from mountain to mountain and from wood to wood. He was very | clever; but our security organisationr, I are clever too. By arresting thi | traitor, we have unmasked a base cam j paign and the lies of the reactionaiw i fress who, through Severai inveterati j enemies of the new Yugoslavia, such as I Randolph Churchill, spread a rumou: j that Mikhailovitch was v/»ging a bittei | struggle in the Yugoslav mountains a' j ieader and commander of 60,000 weu- i armed soldiersr Statements_ that Mik j hailovitch severai times went abroaa j for conferences with King Peter aua j General Anders are grotesffue. " " ; The radio added that Mikhailovitc; j was the last hope of reactionaries at home and abroad who were woraing ! against the Yugoslav Federal Kepuum. j Reuter's says that Mikhailovitch wa,-. | recognised and supplied by the Aiiies j but was repudiated in 1944 by Mr ! Churchill for collaborating with tht j Germans against Marshal Tito's par tisan armies. I