Office of the Historian

740.00116 E.W./12–2745: Telegram

The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Patterson) to the Secretary of State

Belgrade, December 27, 1945—7 p.m.
[Received December 30—10:45 a.m.]

809. Yugoslav authorities cannot understand our failure to return admitted war criminals and bring up the question constantly. When Colonel Thayer, former head of our Military Mission, was here on short visit last week, General Velebit greeted him with question “Where is Nedich?” and said that best way to improve Yugoslav-American relations would be to deliver Yugoslav war criminals.

Velebit said today that Yugoslav Government accepts as confirmed the death of Milutan Nedich11 (retel 5, December 7 from Vienna). He added that Yugoslav Government knows Milan Nedich is in American custody. This was confirmed by Berlin telegram 7, November 712 to us.

We are informed by Velebit and British Embassy that Rupnik and four war criminals on List No. 1 (Nos. 8, 27, 28 and 34) are to be returned to Yugoslavs at Morgan Line13 January 2. Can anything be done to expedite return of Milan Nedich and balance of those we said we would return in October (see Deptel 342, October 1113a) as well as others in American custody?14

Patterson
  1. Gen. Milyutin Nedich, brother and former chief of staff to Milan Nedich, committed suicide at Kitzbühel, Austria, on July 24, 1945.↩
  2. Not printed; in this telegram, which was repeated to the Department as No. 964, the U.S. Political Adviser for Germany reported that Milan Nedich was in the American zone of Germany and inquired whether there was any objection to surrendering him to the Yugoslav authorities (740.00116 EW/11–745). Cf. footnote 77, p. 1280.↩
  3. The line of demarcation separating Allied forces from Yugoslav forces in Venezia Giulia. For text of the agreement signed at Belgrade June 9, 1945, which established this line, see Department of State Executive Agreement Series No. 501, or 59 Stat. (pt. 2) 1855. See also vol, iv, p. 1176.↩
  4. Same as telegram 888 to Mr. Kirk, p. 1265.↩
  5. On December 14, the Yugoslav Government had announced that a note had already been sent to the British Government requesting the handing over of a number of accused war criminals including Milan Nedich. On January 10, 1946, it was announced in Belgrade that Milan Nedich had been handed over to the Yugoslav Government, and on February 6, 1946, it was announced that he had committed suicide while awaiting trial.↩