740.0011 European War 1939/8701: Telegram
The Minister in Yugoslavia (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:27 p.m.]
135. My 128, February 27, 4 p.m., paragraph 3.35 I left with the Prime Minister this morning a memorandum giving specific instances [Page 949] of publication in official Avala bulletin of D. N. B.36 and Stefani36a despatches from the United States containing distorted and misleading accounts of conditions and especially with regard to the attitude toward Lend-Lease Bill.
The Prime Minister said that he would give instructions as far as Avala is concerned. As to public opinion in Yugoslavia he said that propaganda of any sort is useless as people well know our attitude toward Germany and that they are wholeheartedly pro-British and American and anti-German. Nothing the Germans can say will change this attitude. It is even necessary for the Yugoslav Government at times to curb this attitude because of danger of creating trouble with Germany.
I pointed out that my complaint was justified especially by the Yugoslav Government’s having made complaints regarding news despatches sent from Yugoslavia by American correspondents despite fact that they were not published in any United States Government organ.