740.0011 European War 1939/9222: Telegram
The Minister in Yugoslavia (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:20 p.m.]
219. Although not officially confirmed, following substance of terms has been received from reliable source:
“Yugoslavia in principle joins the Tripartite Pact. However, by the annex to this pact, certain mutual obligations are created, while certain obligations in the pact will not bind Yugoslavia; (1st) Yugoslavia receives a guarantee of borders and territory. All powers which have signed the Tripartite Pact automatically take on themselves the guarantee for same. (2d) Yugoslav borders remain untouched and the territory unoccupied by any military forces of any of the signers of the Tripartite Pact (which means that the signing of the pact by Yugoslavia will not result in the entering of German troops into the country as was the case in Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria). (3d) Yugoslavia is freed of all obligations covered by military clauses in the Tripartite Pact such as mutual assistance or eventual common military action of the signers. (4th) At the completion of the present [Page 964] war and at the time of the organization of the new Europe, consideration will be given to Yugoslavia’s aspirations in the Aegean Sea.
According to the annex to the pact, Yugoslavia obligates herself: (1) To permit war material from the North to the South, sanitary transports, transport of wounded without any right of control or restrictions; (2) to break down all anti-Axis influence in the country; (3) from an economic point of view Yugoslavia will be gradually brought into the framework of the economic system of the German Reich.
The pact will be signed within 8 days.”
It is reported that three Cabinet Ministers including Constantinovich, Minister of Justice, are resigning in protest against decision of Government said to have been reached early this morning.
Repeat to Athens, Ankara, and Rome.