Albania Suffers For Hasty Action

Chronicle (Levin), 3 September 1948, Page 5

Albania Suffers For Hasty Action

Received Thursday, 7 p.m. LONDON, September 2. Bclgrade messages state that Marshal Tito has re-organised his Cabinet and as an obvious gestnre of defiance to the t'oniinforni, has promoted Eduard Kardel.i aiul (icne'ral Alexander Rankovitch, two Yugosiav Ministers who were singled out for eritieism by Russia and the Oominfonn leaders. Ivardelj replacos Oimitch, the only non-Oom-munist meniber of Ihe Yugoslav Cabinet. as Foreign, Minister and Rankovitcli, who is already Minister of Interior, has received an additional portfolih as Vice-Premier. A uumber of other new Ministerial appointments were made but at the moment their jirecise signi licance is not evidcnt. It is generally assniued, however, that tlie reorgunisation is part of Marshal Tito's i>oiicy of tightening his administration and excluding all elements whose loyalty may be in doubt. It is l'epoi'ted from Vienna that Albania is em*ountering considerable difficulties as the rosult of tne entliusiasm with which it has endeavoured to follow the t.'ominiform 's attack iqton Yugoslavia. In return for Albanian support ot the Russian economic l)lockade of Yugoslavia, the Russians proiuised to provide alternntive supplies by air. So far, however the proiuised ''air bridge" has comprised one aircraft which arrived containing a Russian cultural mission and a Russian military mission which has taken over control of tlie Albanian Army. As a result of Al1 bania 's action in depriving herself of Yugoslav supplies, the country's econoluy is now stated to .be in a critical position.