860h.51/187: Telegram

The Minister in the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes ( Dodge ) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]

25. Upon receiving your no. 18 of May 24, 4 p.m., I asked the Acting Prime Minister for a written confirmation of the verbal assurances mentioned in the Legation’s telegram no. 16 of May 16, 7 p.m. He requested time in which to consult the Cabinet. Today the Minister of Finance, referring to the Acting Prime Minister’s statement that a portion of the first installment of the loan would be used for the payment of all interest due on the Government’s indebtedness to the Government of the United States, declared that this statement must have been the result of a misunderstanding as it was impossible to do this. After a discussion in which I expressed my profound surprise, the Minister of Finance said that he would consult the Cabinet again and inform me tomorrow.

Dodge