860H.20/94
The Yugoslav Embassy to the Department of State
The following message was received from General Mihailovich:
“Zdenko Reich (Veljko Rajić) left for Switzerland to become chief correspondent for the Swiss and Swedish Communist press. Rajić is spreading all false rumours about the fighting of the Partisans and Croats against the Ustashis, Germans and Italians. In as much as there is any Partisan fighting against the occupational forces and the Ustashis in Croatia, it is carried on only by units under my command.”
A series of articles published in the British and American press on the Partisan fighting in Croatia claim that the units of General Mihailovich were either annihilated or had left him. These reports are completely fabricated. In two-thirds of our country the forces of General Mihailovich are masters of the situation. They are leading the campaign in Yugoslavia in accordance with the instructions of the British Supreme Command in the Middle East. The forces of General Mihailovich are carrying on the fighting chiefly in western Bosnia. A large part of the Partisan units who have not committed atrocities against the people and who are continuing the struggle against the occupation forces have joined General Mihailovich. Much of the fighting carried on by units under the command of Mihailovich are attributed to the Croatian Partisans. The British Supreme Command is well-acquainted with the real situation in Yugoslavia and also with the operations of General Mihailovich’s forces which will not be made public according to the wish of General Mihailovich. Recently, several Axis divisions have been brought to Yugoslavia in addition to the 30 to 40 divisions which the forces of General Mihailovich have tied up.
There is still a small number of Partisans in western Bosnia outside the command of General Mihailovich. All reports of any large Partisan army or Partisan government in which all national groups are supposed to be represented are all utterly unfounded and misleading.