800.51 W 89Yugoslavia/57: Telegram

The Minister in the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes ( Dodge ) to the Secretary of State 88

[Paraphrase]

9. I have received advance information from the Minister of Finance that British Government, in order to guarantee the British share of the Blair loan under the Trade Facilities Act, have demanded that the Yugoslav Government agree to a plan for refunding its post-war advances for relief in kind and for reconstruction [Page 185] which amount to about £300,000. The plan suggested provides for refunding in 15 years.

The Minister of Finance expressed the belief that if the British proposal were accepted, the Government of the United States would demand adoption of a similar reimbursement plan and he declared that the resources of the Yugoslav Government would render the reimbursement of American advances in 15 years impossible.

Dodge
  1. Sent via the Embassy at Paris.