860H.01/12–2344: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador to the Yugoslav Government in Exile (Patterson), at London
Yugos 6. Supplementary to your series of telegrams on the proposed agreement for the formation of a new Yugoslav Government the British Ambassador has informed the Department of a telegram from Mr. Eden stating that Subasic has given him a full explanation of the agreement with Tito which, when read together with the supplementary texts, seems to afford a “satisfactory basis on which to build a new federal Yugoslavia.” He asks for the Department’s reaction, and says that it would be helpful, if the Department favors the agreement as a whole, if you could be instructed so to inform King Peter, with whom the matter will be discussed by Mr. Churchill and Mr. Eden later this week.
You may inform both Dr. Subasic and King Peter that the Department has examined with attention the documents which you have submitted; that the principles enunciated in the agreement as a whole are generally in accord with those to which this Government subscribes, both for the conduct of the war and for general dealings with other governments; but that this Government would not undertake to express [Page 1444] an opinion as to the prospects for securing an effective and loyal implementation of these principles, since so much will depend on the good will, cooperation, and mutual respect with which the personalities who may be designated to conduct the affairs of the new Government approach the admittedly difficult problems involved in rebuilding their country.
You should add that, as concerns our general attitude, this Government has consistently defended the rights of the various peoples of Yugoslavia to work out their own forms of Government without the exercise of any foreign influence or the imposition of the rule of any one national or political group within the country over other elements.
If questions should be raised concerning the particulars of the agreement and its supplementary texts, you may say that this Government hesitates to express an opinion, both because of the very general nature of the language used, and the technicalities of Yugoslav law which may be involved as, for example, in the project for a Regency and the provisions for elections. Since these questions moreover may involve a decision taking into account the realities of the situation in Yugoslavia, the good will of the parties involved, and the King’s conception of his responsibilities to his people, you should not enter into discussion of any of them.
For your guidance it may be added that in the event of the King’s acceptance of this or any other compromise agreement the question of “recognition” by this Government would not arise. Our formal relations would not be determined by our appraisal of the merits of the arrangement. Should the King reject whatever terms may be arrived at, we consider it probable that Marshal Tito would formally repudiate the Government in exile and request recognition of his organization as the responsible government. In such circumstances our decision concerning recognition would depend on a re-examination of the situation within Yugoslavia, followed probably by consultation with other governments with regard to the situation then prevailing.
In its memorandum to the British Embassy the Department is outlining our general attitude toward the proposed agreement. Pertinent sections are being repeated to you in the next following telegram.25 Sent to London, Yugos. Repeated to Ampolad, Caserta, and Moscow.
- Not printed; the memorandum of December 23, 1944, to the British Embassy, is printed in Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945, p. 255.↩