701.60 h 11/55½

Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conversation with the Yugoslav Chargé (Taditch), July 21, 1921

The Chargé d’Affaires, recently arrived, called to explain the situation with respect to the removal of the Consul General at New York. He said that his Government had not been adequately advised regarding the matter; that the former Chargé d’Affaires had answered our note without waiting for instructions from his Government and that of course the Consul General should have been withdrawn; that he had acted as though Zotti were a compatriot of his, because he was of the same race, instead of realizing that he was an American citizen; that the Consul General had acted as though the whole affair was in Belgrade instead of in New York; and that he hoped the matter could be treated as a closed incident and that the friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries would not be affected.

The Secretary assured him that the incident was closed; that we regretted that we had no option, in view of the reply made to our request, but to take the action we did, but that it was a separate incident and that our relations would continue with his country as cordially as ever.