File No. 763.72/7112
The Ambassador in France ( Sharp ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 4, 1.55 p.m.]
2561. Your 2681, September 28.3 Mr. Vesnitch 4 desires me to express sincerest thanks to the Department for the invitation extended to him and his mission to visit the United States sometime during this autumn. He informs me that he is planning to sail from France in about a month. Confidentially he told me that in his talk with members of a committee of Jugoslavs who desire to visit the United States in company with the Servian mission he had discouraged them from so doing pointing out the unusual position which they would occupy as the subjects of Austria-Hungary as [Page 224] well as the fact that they would have no official character. He expressed the opinion that there was not the least likelihood their joining mission or visiting the United States. In view of the mutual distrust which I have been led to believe exists between the Italian Government and the Jugoslavs a reception of the latter’s representatives at this time might prove an additional embarrassment.