10 SEPTEMBER 1943, Page 13

YUGOSLAV PARTIES

SIR,—I do not know what purpose your correspondent, M. E. Durham, had in writing the letter published in your issue of September 3rd. I believe that the British public, which by now has grasped the elemental truth as to the unity of the Yugoslav nation, will draw their own con- clusion fr9m the facts rather than from any written or verbal " verdict," no matter how plausible or harmless it may appear. They will, for instance, contrast your correspondent's " information " of discord and disunity of the Yugoslav people with the knowledge of their epic resistance for the independence of their national State against our common enemy. " How on earth," they will no doubt ask, " can so divided a people stand, withstand. and overcome (without anybody's help) continuous enemy attempts to subdue them, especially since the -main object of that enemy is to divide them."

Our British allies are perhaps a little puzzled with various reports as to disagreement among our politicians, but these do not go deeper than the surface and spring from a national characteristic which may take ages completely to eradicate. But in preference to the information as given by your correspondent, the British public will recall the testimony as to the true facts on which our unity is based given by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin ; or by men who know us infinitely better than your correspondent, like Mr. Wickhamiteed, Field Marshal Lord Milne, Mr. Eden and Dr. Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who at a memorable public meeting, held not very long ago, has said that the Yugoslays had achieved in twenty years more towards their unity than that which the British people had taken centuries to cement.—Yours