World Battlefronts: Balkan Red

The southern Slavic peoples were fighting a complex, grim, ruthless and triangular war last week.

Draja Mihailovich’s 150,000-odd guerrillas were fighting the Germans in Serbia, in eastern Bosnia and Montenegro, also fought sporadic battles against Communist-led guerrilla “Partisans.”

The Partisans, likewise roughly 150,000 strong, were in control in Slovenia and western Bosnia. They were fighting with great vigor against Germans, Italians and any Yugoslav groups whom they suspected of collaborating with the invaders. In rate of numerical growth and in military aggressiveness the Partisans had left Mihailovich’s guerrillas behind. Mihailovich leaned heavily on the inactive Government in Exile, and for this reason many of his less enthusiastic followers had joined the Partisans.

The Yugoslav Government in Exile in London, had publicly taken sides with Serb Nationalist Mihailovich. Oldtime Serb nationalists, who hold most of the posts in the Government in Exile, tend to attack the non-Serb elements in Yugoslavia, particularly the Partisans, whom they accuse of plundering the people of Yugoslavia. But poverty-stricken, oppressed Balkan peasants, traditionally pro-Russian, are attracted by slogans, long associated with Moscow, such as “Land to the Landless,” “Higher Wages,” and “People’s Governments.” Many Yugoslavs wish their Government would negotiate with the Partisans, through Moscow, to create a unified strategy and perhaps a unified command.