860h.00/10–2245
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
9488. Deptel 9209 Oct 17. Molotov has now replied to our approach concerning Yugoslav situation in writing along following lines:68
Soviet Govt believes there are no grounds for US, UK and Soviet Govts to make any proposals to Yugos Govt on question of collaboration between Tito and Subasic; in addition there is no basis for interference of these three Govts in question of date of Yugps elections; and Soviet Govt takes position that Yugos Govt should be permitted to decide question whether it is proper to postpone elections set for Nov 11 to a later date.
In view of this unwillingness of Soviet Govt to participate in tripartite representations, Dept now suggests that US and UK Govts consider addressing parallel communications to Marshal Tito and Dr. Subasic setting forth the attitude of the two Govts in the circumstances in the following sense:
“The US Govt has been following developments in post-liberation Yugoslavia with particular attention in the light of the responsibility toward the people of Yugoslavia assumed by the US in conjunction with her Brit and Soviet allies at Yalta. The three signatories to the Crimea Declaration recommended in that Declaration that the agreement between Marshal Tito on behalf of the National Committee of Liberation and Dr. Subasic on behalf of the Royal Yugoslav Govt be put into effect immediately. That agreement provided for the establishment of a unified Govt containing adherents of both parties to exercise the executive authority pending the decision by a freely elected Constituent Assembly on the final constitutional organization of the state. The agreement further called for specific guarantees of [Page 1275] personal freedom, freedom from fear, liberty of conscience, freedom of speech, liberty of the press, and freedom of assembly and association.
“Elections for a Constituent Assembly have been announced for Nov 11, 1945. However, owing to failure effectively to implement these guarantees, conditions have now been created in Yugoslavia under which a single list of candidates representative of only one section of the electorate will be presented for endorsement on that occasion. In addition, the elections will be conducted and the votes counted by local Liberation Committees and judicial organs of which the controlling membership has been appointed by and is consequently overwhelmingly responsive to the leaders of one faction. Finally? in view of these conditions, one of the contracting parties to the Tito–Subasic agreement has felt called upon to resign from the unified Govt, together with his supporting colleagues.
“The US Govt believes that the developments outlined above demonstrate conclusively that a situation has arisen inimical to the exercise of democratic processes and prejudicial to the validity, as a free and untrammelled expression of the will of all democratic elements of the people, of the elections now contemplated. Accordingly, it profoundly hopes that Marshal Tito and Dr. Subasic together with the leaders of other democratic groups in Yugoslavia will spare no effort to find, in direct negotiations between themselves or, if they so desire, in concert with the US, Soviet and Brit Govts or such of them as are willing to assist therein, a means of agreement by which the basis for the collaboration of all democratic elements in Yugoslavia in a united interim Govt may be reestablished to the satisfaction of all parties and with effective provision for the unequivocal execution of the guarantees contained in their previous accord. Pending the achievement of this end, the US Govt urges that the elections scheduled for Nov 11 be postponed to a later date.
“It may be noted that before communicating the foregoing views, the US Govt has consulted the other signatories to the Yalta Declaration. The Brit Govt has indicated that it takes a similar attitude and will transmit similar communications. However, the Soviet Govt has taken the position that no grounds exist for the three Govts to make any proposals in this matter, that in addition there is no basis for interference of the three Govts in the question of the date of the Yugos elections and that the Yugos Govt itself should be permitted to decide the question whether it is proper to postpone the elections set for Nov 11, to a later date.”
Please ascertain views of FonOff on foregoing and add that we further suggest that notes in the above sense be addressed to Marshal Tito and Dr. Subasic by the US and Brit Ambs in Belgrade on Nov 1.
For your information, Dept has indicated to Brit Emb our belief that it is unadvisable (reurtel 11049 Oct 22) to ask for text of Subasic letter of resignation.
Sent to London; rptd to Moscow and to Belgrade.
- The Soviet reply was sent to the Department in telegram 3629, October 22, 1945, from Moscow, not printed. The substance as given here is a close paraphrase of that telegram.↩