740.00119 Control (Italy)/10–2545: Airgram
The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Patterson) to the Secretary of State
A–199. Reference Embassy’s despatch No. 131 dated September 27,6 enclosing copies of American and British notes to Yugoslav Foreign Office concerning Allied military administration in Venezia Giulia, there follows text of Yugoslav Foreign Office note No. 4389 dated October 20 in reply to Embassy’s note:
“The Yugoslav Ministry of Foreign Affairs present their compliments to the American Embassy and with reference to the latter’s Note No. 155 of September 18th last, concerning the Allied Military Government administration of Julian March, have the honour to state the following:
“The Yugoslav Government have received with regret the interpretation of the Government of the United States of America concerning the national committees as members of the administrative authorities in Julian March. These committees, which have been created by the wish of the people themselves in the course of the struggle against [Page 1208] the Italian and German fascism, represent the absolute majority of those people and in that way best express their wish. The elimination of the national committees, as the local administrative authorities, by supposition that they could be used to further the aims of the cession of these areas to Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav Government consider as an interpretation which could not be taken as a friendly one towards the people of Julian March, who have been fighting on the side of the Allies from the beginning of the war and with the great sacrifices.
“The Yugoslav Government point out that, according to the terms of the Belgrade Agreement of June 9th, the status of the liberated area was recognised to the Julian March while the Italian territory is the occupied one. It is clear that the area should enjoy the more favorable position than the occupied one. However, the Allied Military Government by their order No. 118 have eliminated almost all the committees, as the local administrative authorities, and not only those “which have shown themselves to be incapable of functioning or unrepresentative”. In that way the inhabitants of Julian March, under the Allied Military Government, have been placed, with regard to their rights of appointing their authorities in the worse position than the inhabitants of the Italian territory, placed under the Italian administration.
“The Yugoslav Government consider it justifiable and necessary that the national committees should either be restored as the local administrative authorities or to be held the free elections in that area at an early opportunity. Both decisions would correspond to the democratic principles of the administration over such a territory. The inhabitants of the Julian March have proved by its conduct during the war that they know how to appreciate democracy and liberty and that they can govern themselves by the democratic principles. The Yugoslav Government therefore have received with satisfaction the assertion that “it is hoped to hold communal and municipal elections at an early opportunity,” and agree with the opinion of the Government of the United States of America that the elections for the local administrative authorities in Julian March should be held as soon as possible.
“The Yugoslav Government consider that the question of sending of a small military liaison mission to the Yugoslav Administrative Headquarters in Julian March to act as observers has no foundation in the Belgrade Agreement of June 9th. At the same time the Yugoslav Government emphasize that the Yugoslav Military Mission attached to the Allied Headquarters of the 8th Army has not only the character of observers which function has been recognised by the article 3 of the Belgrade Agreement, but, first of all, it has to fulfill the concrete tasks in connection with the Yugoslav detachment on the territory under the Allied Military Government, as it was arranged by the article 5 of Devin’s Agrément of June 20th.9
[Page 1209]“The Yugoslav Government express once more their wish for close Allied relations with the United States of America. The Yugoslav peoples are greatly interested in the events of the whole Julian March where is living a majority of the population of Yugoslav origin. The Yugoslav Government therefore are hoping that the Government of the United States of America will rightfully understand the endeavour of Yugoslavia that the sovereign rights of the peoples of Julian March should be fully guaranteed to elect their own members of the local authorities and to decide of their own destiny which they have fully deserved by their great sacrifices and struggle on the side of the Allies.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs avail themselves of this occasion to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurance of their high consideration.”