740.0011 European War 1939/9289: Telegram
The Minister in Yugoslavia (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:17 p.m.]
238. For the Acting Secretary. Supplementing my 234,70 Prince said that greatest difficulty of his position is internal. If he could believe country behind him as is the case with our President he might act differently. Nevertheless my arguments regarding public hostility towards signature of pact made little impression. I had summoned Meily from Zagreb to report to me on Croatian public opinion yet Prince was unconvinced (see paragraph 5). Decision had been made and unfavorable arguments were distasteful.
I have never seen Prince so upset and unless he is an excellent actor almost without self control; he said, “I am out of my head; I wish I were dead”. He ranted about Bulgarian perfidy, British stupidity and opposition of Croats but he refused to consider possibility of not signing pact and capitulating to Germany.
- Supra.↩