860h.00/12–645: Telegram
The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Patterson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—2:25 p.m.]
730. Ex Prime Minister Trifunovic called yesterday to express his dissatisfaction with Tito regime and especially with recent elections. He recalled that Grol had joined Tito Govt believing he also would join but he had refused having always held it impossible to collaborate with Communists on any political question.
His chief criticisms of elections were that intimidation and enforced voting were used to get people to polls and that results were falsified. He estimated true vote for regime, even with opposition not participating and in spite of methods employed, at only about 40%. To support this he presented privately obtained evidence from two Serbian counties and detailed criticisms of official returns. This evidence is impressive and is being forwarded to Dept by dispatch.93
He said he would like to see American and British Govts not recognize elections as true and free expression of popular will and refrain from recognizing this Constituent Assembly as People’s Assembly. He felt complete US withdrawal from Yugo would be two-edged sword one edge hurting Partisans and other the people by removing their one friend and protector. He said US by remaining here is at least observing what is happening. But he finally said that if choice lay between US recognizing new regime or withdrawing completely he would reluctantly prefer latter.
He said his people are not enemies of Russian people but only want to live their own life freely not under Russian Communist system. He bitterly criticized British for recent official and press statements indicating approval of elections and support of Tito.
Later in day similar statement was made to us by Grol. He also bitterly attacked British saying that if western Allies cannot help Yugoslav people they at least ought not to injure them any further by such statements as the British press has lately been making.
- See despatch No. 174, infra.↩