860h.01/1–2645: Telegram
The Ambassador to the Yugoslav Government in Exile (Patterson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 26—12:30 p.m.]
Yugos 20. Last evening a solution to the Yugoslav crisis had been agreed upon by Subasic and Peter in a communiqué to be signed by Peter in which Subasic and his Government would tender their resignations and immediately thereafter the King would call upon Subasic to accept a mandate to form a new government with wider representation. The communiqué further states that the duty of the new government will be to bring into operation the Tito-Subasic agreement taking into consideration the King’s two objections made public in the King’s communiqué of January 11 and in his letters to Subasic.
Subasic wanted a Regency clause added to this communiqué in which the King would not only appoint but choose the Regents but since the King prefers his counterproposal instead of the original two objections he agreed to write a separate letter stating that in case the counterproposal is not acceptable then the King would agree to Regency clause.
At the eleventh hour General Velebit persuaded Subasic to do nothing until he (Velebit) wired Tito for his reaction.46 I believe King and Subasic might have gotten together some days ago if British had taken a less active part as there appears to be a fundamental cordial relationship between the two despite the King’s communiqué dismissing Subasic for lack of confidence.
If Tito refuses to recognize the King’s objections the King tells me he has prepared a White Paper washing his hands of the whole business, giving the history of the negotiations to date and denouncing his Ministers for having violated the Yugoslav constitution.
My telegraphic reports are based upon daily personal talks with the principals concerned.
Sent Department as Yugos 20, Jan. 26, 2 p.m., repeated Moscow as 24 and repeated Caserta as 18.
- In telegram 301. January 26, 1945, the U.S. Political Adviser in Caserta reported that Tito had expressed his willingness on January 24 to have Dr. Subasich come to Belgrade to implement the agreement. The Political Adviser added that “Tito was in exceptionally good humor probably because he believes that the London crisis has damaged the King’s cause irreparably.” (860h.01/1–2645)↩