860h.00/8–1945: Telegram
The Chargé in Yugoslavia (Shantz) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:54 p.m.]
380. Grol resigned yesterday morning as Vice Premier. He and his 14 party followers will remain in Avnoj for time being. Copy of his [Page 1251] letter of resignation to Tito is being sent Dept by despatch.32 In broad outline it reiterates his position that present regime is maintaining itself by undemocratic methods, among them Ozna, a large army and terroristic methods; and that under the present system elections will be meaningless.
No other Minister joined Grol in resigning. In talk with Fraleigh33 he maintained that Subasic would probably join him but for fact that Croats are generally adopting passive attitude towards regime.34 Organized opposition is now limited to Serbia and it will therefore probably be difficult to do anything effective at the moment towards modifying the political situation in Yugo.
Sent Dept, rptd Caserta and Moscow.
- Not printed.↩
- William N. Fraleigh, Second Secretary of Embassy and Vice Consul at Belgrade.↩
- In telegram 383, August 21, 1945, from Belgrade, the Chargé reported that Dr. Subasich had informed him that he was “fighting” to have a meeting of the Croatian Peasant Party leaders, but he first had to arrange for the release of large numbers of them from prison. The Chargé further informed the Department: “Grol’s resignation has encouraged opponents of regime and given rise to usual fantastic rumors such as arrival of King Peter at Trieste with British naval escort followed [by?] US task force.” (860h.00/8–2145)↩