WAR ON YUGOSLAVIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 April 1941, Page 6

WAR ON YUGOSLAVIA

NOT WANTED BV MUSSOLINI I ACCORDING TO BRITISH CORRESPONDENT. FEARS FOR ITALIAN ARMY IN ALBANIA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.' (Received This Day, 12.20. p.m.) LONDON, April 2. A desperate attempt to prevent war between Germany and Yugoslavia is being made by Mussolini, in order to save his 350,000 troops in Albania,” says the “Daily Mail’s” Belgrade correspondent. General Cavallero is reported to have told the Duce that the Italian position would be untenable in the event of a Yugoslavian attack. The correspondent adds that the Croats favour a compromise. If Germany accepts, it will be a sign that she is not prepared, at the moment, to face the hazards of a Balkans blitz. Such a compromise, however, would confuse the Axis spring offensive plans and be a serious blow to German prestige. A Belgrade report says SerbianCroat unity has been completed after successful negotiations. The Berlin radio says: “Relations with Yugoslavia have worsened in the past twenty-four hours. Yugoslav gendarmes, are forcing German women to kiss Yugoslav medals and those refusing are beaten. Ten deaths are reported in Bosar, a Yugoslav village, as a result of an anti-German demonstration. Serbian school children in another village beat up their German comrades.” It is reported from Sofia that Bulgarian students driven' out of Yugoslavia demonstrated before the Royal Palace, demanding the liberation of Thrace and Macedonia and shouting: "Long live the Fuehrer!” An eight-minute alert was sounded in Skolpje this morning, when three foreign planes reconnoitred at a great height over the town.