CRO AMBASSODOR ASKS THE WASHINGTON TIMES TO PROVE ALLEGATIONS

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Hina) - Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Miomir Zuzul, on Wednesday asked The Washington Times to show proof for its allegation that "pro-Nazi extremism' was being maintained in Croatia. A correspondent of this American newspaper, Philip Smucker, sent a report from Dubrovnik in mid-June in which he wrote that evidence for the existence of extremism in Croatia could be easily found, and described a German tank in an unidentified village which villagers greeted with Nazi greetings and saying "Heil Hitler". Smucker added in his report that he saw pictures of the Ustasha leader Ante Pavelic on the wall of an unidentified bar and met persons who praised Hitler. He cited also the abuse of minorities, and a Mass held by a priest, Vjekoslav Lasic, on the anniversary of Pavelic's death. Zuzul replied in his letter to The Washington Times that mass pro- Nazi feelings were not at all present in Croatian society. There was no place for a broad fascist movement in the present-day Croatia. In the country, like in every democracy, there was a very small minority of extremists who attracted the attention of media every now and then by their dramatic exaggerations, but such people did not represent the majority of Croatians, the Ambassador added. The reporting from countries like Croatia - that are tying to leave history behind and transform themselves into democracies - should be thorough, prudent and accurate rather than superficial, sensationalistic and inaccurate. Free media had their responsibility that, unfortunately, your correspondent, failed to fulfil in this case, the Croatian Ambassador wrote to the American paper. (hina) jn mš 251959 MET jun 97