Office of the Historian

860h.01/2–1245: Telegram

Mr. Alexander C. Kirk, Political Adviser, Allied Force Headquarters, to the Secretary of State

Caserta, February 12, 1945—1 p.m.
[Received February 12—10:27 a.m.]

507. Thayer has informed us from Belgrade that last night Maclean received a message from Eden stating that at the Big Three conference the President instructed Thayer to inform Tito that he counseled immediate implementation of the Tito-Subasic agreement provided Avnoj is expanded by the inclusion of uncompromised members of the previous parliament and that all Avnoj decrees were ratified by the [Page 1198] subsequent Parliament.76 Thayer had as yet heard nothing on the matter.

Department presumably will not inform Thayer of this as his mission may be considered as not being competent in political matters but since Russians in Belgrade and Maclean will tell Tito today that Thayer has been instructed to confirm President’s recommendation Tito will certainly expect some explanation from Thayer. It may be that instructions for Thayer on this are already en route via General Donovan.77

Please instruct urgently so that we may communicate at once with Thayer.78

Kirk
  1. In section VII of the official “Report of the Crimea Conference,” dated February 11, 1945, the three powers agreed that joint recommendations, substantially the same as those described above, be made to Marshal Tito and Dr. Subasich. See Conferences at Malta and Yalta, p. 974. The British Government informed Belgrade of this agreement on February 10, ibid., pp. 919–920. The United States Government, however, did not submit its recommendations to the Yugoslav Government until February 25; see telegram Yugos 26, February 26, 5 p.m., to London, post, p. 1202.↩
  2. Brig. Gen. William J. Donovan, Director of the Office of Strategic Services.↩

  3. In telegram 130, February 12, 1945, the Acting Secretary informed the U.S. Political Adviser at Caserta: “The communiqué of the Crimea Conference now being released contains a passage similar to the message of instructions which Maclean thinks Thayer should have received. Neither the OSS nor the Department has any knowledge of instructions to or intended for Thayer on this matter.

    “Unless he receives such direct instructions he ought not to furnish explanations or interpretations of the communiqué.” (860h.01/1–1245)

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