740.00119 Potsdam/7–1745
No. 1201
The Secretary General of the
British Delegation (
Hayter
)
to the First Secretary of Embassy in
Portugal (
Cannon
)
F. O. 11
(1)
Berlin
, July 17th, 1945.
Dear Cannon
, It is very good news that you
are here as the expert on South-east Europe. I am supposed to be
the same for our delegation, and we must get together soon.
Meanwhile I enclose a copy of a telegram from our Ambassador at
Belgrade,1 which you may find interesting.
The reference in the last paragraph is to the proposal, which
your Embassy has I think also reported,2 that this meeting should issue a
reminder that the Three Powers expect the Tito-Šubašić agreement3 to be
fully carried out in the near future. I know that Mr. Eden is very anxious to get this
through, and perhaps we could meet and discuss it. Could you
give me a ring?
Yours very sincerely,
[Enclosure]
Telegram From His Majesty’s
Ambassador at Belgrade, 11th
July
It was recently reported in Belgrade press that it was
intended to hold in the near future a congress of national
liberation fronts of various states in Yugoslav Federation.
The aim of the congress would be to weld these national
liberation fronts into a national front for the whole of
Yugoslavia.
- 2.
- I heard this morning that Dr. Šubašić had been invited
to become a member of Steering Committee of this
congress and I took an opportunity to question him about
it in the course of private conversation this
afternoon.
- 3.
- He confirmed to me that he had received such an
invitation. He had, however, not yet returned a reply.
He intended to discuss the matter with M. Kardelj and to take the
line that if he were being invited as an individual he
could not accept. This would mean that he was merely
being used as a figurehead. If however he were permitted
first to call a meeting of the executive of Croat
Peasant Party and secure a mandate to represent the
party he would then be in a position to take a
constructive part in the congress. A possible
alternative might be that he should meet Dr. Maček, ascertain his
views and seek a mandate of some kind from him.
- 4.
- The idea at the back of Dr. Šubašić’s mind in this is that a
national front which would be a coalition of the parties
each having a separate existence, would probably be the
best solution of the country’s political problems; even
though a dominant position in such a coalition was held
by the Communist party.
- 5.
- As he sees the position the present régime have all
physical power in their hands. A national front is
therefore inevitable. The only alternative to it would
be civil war. This would
only be possible with foreign armed assistance which is
out of the question. It is equally inevitable that a
transitory role in political life of this country will
be played for some time at any rate by the Communist
party. The problem therefore is to prevent the national
front from becoming a thinly disguised one-party régime.
This could be done by creating it as a true coalition of
the parties even though Communist party’s influence in
the coalition was preponderant.
- 6.
- It will be interesting to see whether Dr. Šubašić terms for his
participation in the congress are accepted by Marshal Tito. If so it
may be that some kind of a coalition will emerge from
proposed congress. Kardelj assured him that after the
congress complete freedom of the press and of political
activity would be granted. The present idea is that the
congress should precede meeting of broadened AVNOJ.
- 7.
- It is Dr. Šubašić’s impression that at the moment
leaders of this regime are manoeuvring and waiting for
the results of the Big Three meeting. He is therefore
doubly anxious that some kind of a reminder about
Tito–Šubašić agreement should issue from
it.
