860H.01/421c
The Ambassador to the Yugoslav Government in Exile (Biddle) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that in very recent conversation with Foreign Minister Nincić he stated that for him it was a source of great regret that Ban Subashić, Croat member of the Yugoslav Special Mission in the United States, had formally severed his relations with Yugoslav Government. In his letter on this score, to Prime Minister Jovanović, Ban Subashić had also stated his intention to notify the British, Russian and our governments of his action. He thus aimed, he had added, to bring the question of Croatia’s future relations in connection with the Yugoslav state into international consideration.
In imparting the foregoing, Minister Nincić admitted that he was agitated. On the one hand, he was not in a position to appraise the effect of Ban Subashić’s action; on the other hand he regarded the latter’s action on this score as an ominous sign.
Sensing the Minister’s concern, I ventured to refer to my former suggestion that his Government issue a declaration by the King on an appropriate date, for example December 1, the anniversary of the creation of Yugoslavia. In response the Minister said that he had already thought of this and that both he and the King had given my suggestion a great deal of thought. In fact, they were both in favor of the idea. He thereupon brought me over to his desk, whereupon he opened his drawer and showed me the paper upon which I had written my suggestion. He had already shown this writing to the King, who had expressed his concurrency with the Minister’s feeling that it was a constructive move. He, therefore, felt optimistic about its being [Page 831] carried out. I, thereupon, emphasized that my suggestion was a personal one and had not been prompted by any word from my Government; that I hoped that the King and he and his Government would accept it in the friendly spirit which had prompted it. He assured me that this had been the case and that both the Government and he felt that it would prove a highly constructive move.
I thereupon emphasized that in my opinion that the degree of constructiveness of a declaration along these lines would be dependent upon the degree of agreement amongst the various elements in his Government as to the practical application of the principles involved. In response, he said he thought that once it had been agreed to make the declaration, that an agreement could be obtained as to the application of the principles.
I personally believe that, notwithstanding the Minister’s expressed belief on this score, it will be necessary that benevolent outside influences be brought to bear upon the various factions in the Yugoslav Government towards an agreement upon the practical application of these principles.
Respectfully yours,