File No. 763.72119/1354
The Special Agent at Corfu ( Dodge) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 20, 2.28 p.m.]
Prime Minister Pashitch considers the President’s message1 to be somewhat more favorable to Southern Slav aspirations and hopes that in a future message reparation from the violation of the Berlin treaty caused by the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina may be claimed, considering this violation analogous to that of the Belgian treaty, and that consequently Bosnia-Herzegovina has claim to independence even if full right of self-determination of the other Southern Slavs involving their separation from the Austro-Hungarian Empire is not to have support.
Parliament is about to meet. The deputies are depressed and the opposition are expected to attack the cabinet for the alleged over-severe punishment of the leaders of the Black Hand conspiracy (my despatch No. 15, October 52), for failure to obtain from the Allies pronouncements more favorable to a union of Southern Slavs with Servia, and for refusing to hold the prior session in Paris or in London with Southern Slav representatives. Pashitch has asked British and French Ministers to request their Governments to make communications to him supporting his refusal. Notwithstanding the considerable opposition to Pashitch largely personal, his forced [Page 793] resignation fortunately seems improbable, and he will most probably be able to form coalition cabinet with dissenting and young Radicals.