Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/8214: Telegram

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

Belgrade, February 8, 1941—noon.
[Received 12:28 p.m.]

78. Informed by reliable source that Military Attaché of the Soviet Legation spontaneously informed Minister of War a few days ago that Germany did not intend to invade Bulgaria or Yugoslavia but would attack Turkey in order to gain possession of Istanbul and the Straits. When asked what attitude Soviet Russia would assume he answered, “We will do nothing.”

Lane