Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, Europe, Volume IV

860H.01/908: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

London, June 1, 1944—6 p.m.
[Received June 1—1:35 p.m.]

4387. The King of Yugoslavia has asked the Ban of Croatia to form a government.

The Foreign Office has just informed us that the King was scheduled to sign this morning a proclamation appointing the Ban and that this proclamation would be publicized this evening.

According to the Foreign Office, it has been impossible for the King to persuade the Serbs to participate in a government. The Serbian elements had agreed to join a government, on the condition that certain guarantees of support for Mihailovic would be given by the British, but the latter flatly declined to do so. Accordingly, the King has now decided to ask Subasic to form a government which will be a one-man government until other elements can be brought into the fold. The plan is that Subasic should proceed to Bari where he will establish contact with various Yugoslav elements there, including Chetniks, the Croat Peasant Party, and Partisans. “After consultation” with these groups, the Ban will form a government. The King will remain in Great Britain for the time being. The text of the proclamation, which has not yet been released, follows as section 2.⁵

Winant

5. Not printed. In his declaration, King Peter appealed to his people “to lay-aside their differences and to postpone all internal political issues until after the liberation of the country, when they will be free to express their will regarding the regime under which they desire to live in the future.” The King went on to say that as evidence of his sincerity he had decided to form a new government which will “consecrate itself to the high purpose of working with all those elements in our country who are actively resisting the enemy.” Since the new government would function effectively only if it had the cooperation of all resistance elements in Yugoslavia, the King had directed Ban Subasich to establish contact with these elements before deciding on the composition of the new government. (860H.01/908)