711.60h4/28

The Minister in Yugoslavia ( Wilson ) to the Secretary of State

No. 501

Sir: In accordance with the Department’s instruction No. 136 of February 4, 1936 (File No. 711.60H4/26) the Legation in a note dated February 19, 1936 inquired of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whether the attitude of the Yugoslav Government had changed concerning the possibility of concluding a naturalization treaty between Yugoslavia and the United States.

No reply having been received I referred to the matter in a conversation at the Foreign Office a few days ago. The Chief of the Political Division stated that he and the Ministry generally were in favor of such a treaty, but that it was believed that the Ministry of War and Marine maintained their previous position. However, he was going to ask the Yugoslav Minister in Washington21 for a report and an expression of opinion on this question, which he had also been discussing with other Foreign Office officials. He said that after Mr. [Page 833] Fotitch’s reply had been received, the Ministry of War would be approached on the subject, adding that it would have to be done in a most tactful manner as that Ministry was extremely touchy about anything which showed a tendency on the part of any other Department of the Government to intervene in any matter which it considered as being within its province. My impression from the conversation was that the Chief of the Political Division has not much hope that the point of view of the Ministry of War will have changed, and that in spite of being in favor of such a treaty the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would hesitate to insist strongly in case of the disapproval of the Ministry of War. In any event I believe that there will be considerable delay before a definite reply will be received by the Legation.

Respectfully yours,

Charles S. Wilson
  1. Constantin Fotitch.