YUGOSLAVS JITTERY

Chronicle (Levin), 11 September 1948, Page 5

YUGOSLAVS JITTERY

Press Association)

Grim Rumours Cause Fears About Return Home

(Per

AUCKLAND, Sept. 10. Many of several hundred Yugoslavs who have undertaken to return to their homelana in the steamer Radnik' at the end of the yelar are now anxiously searching for reasons that can explain their change « of heart. Their fears are claimed to he a reaction to rumours grimly descrih.ing the experiences of some of the earlier emigrants' who disappeared into the mystery of Yugoslavia on the Radnik's two previous voyages. Doubt's liave also been fostered by reports of a contest of lovalties between the Auckland admirers of Alarshal Tito and the striet Communist adherents of the Cominform. Several families are faced with a desperate decision. Their sons or close relatives are aiready in Augoslavia. They fear that refusal to foliow them and so comply with the "wishes" of the Yugoslav interests in Auckland may result in distressihg reprisals. The Radnik is not expected to reach Auckland before the end of November, and it may be late in December before she sails on her return' voyage to yugoslavia. In the meantime strenuous efforts are reported to have been made to ensure that there will be a full cohwplement of emigrants from New Zealand. , Auckland 's Yugoslav community is seetliing with rumours of conditions expei'ienced by earlier emigrants. Oue widely circulated story coneerns a former Henderson man who traiTelled in the Radnik with his wife and arrauged for the despatch of his motorcar and a powerful radio. Later . his death was reported from heart failure brought about by " sheer joy at returning to his natiA'e village. " This versiou differed from a. later letter received by a cousin which gave the cause of death as a "Communist bullet. " He was said to have used his radio indisereetly. A former official of the Yugoslav Society (Alarshal Tito's) is 'he subject of another report. It is stated that he intended to return to New Zealand but he was relieved of his British passport and is now appealing to friends in Auckland'to press for his release from Yugoslavia. Their task is regarded as hopeless. A voung New Zealander widely known as an enthusiastic supporter of the Tito reginte, and who is remembered liy a speech which he made on the-deck of the Radnik, is also claimed to have suffered. Advice received clandestinely in Auckland states that he is serving a sentence of six years in a concentration camp for criticising the methods of the Government in Yugoslavia. Little has been said- openly in the letters from earlier emigrants about their experiences in tlie homeland. However, Auckland Yugoslavs believe many would return if they could, but they are now considered to be well aware i that they have little chance of escaping from the cause which they espoused.