860h.01/1–1745: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Yugoslav Government in Exile (Patterson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 17—10:40 a.m.]
Yugos 12. Last evening King Peter informed me he had sent a telegram to Tito through Velebit23 in which he (1) proposed meeting Tito at time and place to be named by Tito, and (2) made following counter proposal which he said would meet his two objections to Tito-Subasic agreement: “The regency as well as the legislative power is to be wielded by the Government by constitutional method until free elections of the Constituent Assembly.”
[Page 1180]The King then handed me copy of following letter which he was about to mail to Eden:
“This is, I think, a good counter proposal to ease the situation concerning the form of the regency and for article 2 of the amendment. It is not complicated and it has the advantage of being constitutional. It is based on tradition and on the constitution of 1921 as well as that of 1931. This solution would have more weight than all the complicated unorthodox, farfetched makeshifts that have been proposed up to date.”
He advised me further that he felt reasonably sure that all the Subasic Cabinet would go along with his counter-proposal with the exception of Subasic and General Ristic.24
Stevenson when calling on me later said that Subasic Cabinet would today attempt to compose a document which the King could accept as overcoming his objections. He agreed that the King would probably insist on counter proposal quoted above and added that if no agreement were reached the “British would undoubtedly continue to recognize the King but deal with Tito.”
Repeated to Caserta as my 11 and Moscow as my 13.