860H.01/578a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
7759. For Bucknell. Algiers has suggested the following as a directive on Yugoslavia. OWI66 proposed using it in the Central Directive and the Joint Chiefs of Staff independently submitted it to the Department for the same purpose:
“We should present news regarding Tito’s government factually, but avoid any speculation as to the relations between that government and the King.
“We should henceforth refer to the Partisan forces as the ‘Yugoslav Army of National Liberation.’”
The Department could not approve this directive and returned it in the following form to OWI and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for use:
“Pending further advice we must not refer to Tito’s ‘government’ as such. No recognition has been accorded it by the Allied governments. Avoid any speculation as to the relations between Tito’s group and the Yugoslav Government-in-exile. Until further notice emphasize Yugoslav patriot activities throughout Yugoslavia without mentioning the ‘Partisans’ by name. Refrain from reporting conflicts between rival Yugoslav groups.”
- Office of War Information.↩