860h.01/3–545: Telegram
Mr. Alexander C. Kirk, Political Adviser, Allied Force Headquarters, to the Secretary of State
[Received March 5—2:41 p.m.]
822. A reliable source informed Norden on March 1st that Subasic has stated that if he had insisted upon the King’s making the choice of nominees for the Regency the Partisans were prepared to go it alone. Since he was faced with the choice of promising returning to London or breaking off negotiations he believed it better to make the best of things. Norden stated his informant said that Subasic showed extreme loyalty to the King during his conversations and that the course he took was the, only feasible one. Norden believes that both this source and another who are close to the Prime Minister hope to “put some water in Tito’s wine” and to displace some of the extremist influences by playing along. These also state that because of relatively unimportant details it is hard for them to refuse to cooperate in time of war.
Norden has also learned that Partisan leaders have little expectation of the King’s acceptance of the new proposals and that if Tito and Subasic decide to proceed without approval of the King if Yalta recommendations are followed it is expected that Russia and Britain will grant recognition. Implementation of these recommendations is proposed by setting up a joint commission to include members of the Government in London which will decide whether the members of the previous Parliament are eligible. The Partisans’ viewpoint is that since the Parliament was dissolved legally before the war those who are approved will be members as individuals only of Avnoj and will be on the same basis as other Avnoj members. In addition by inclusion of some other new names who will also be passed by Joint Commission it is planned to enlarge Avnoj. With such enlargement it will be possible to prepare a new electoral law by which a constituent assembly can be chosen. It is stressed by the Partisans that they [Page 1207] cannot afford to grant concessions to London Ministers as that will weaken their control. Only to get the economic and political benefits of recognition have they made any concessions. The Socialists especially recognize the benefits of an economic nature and Kardelj4 recently stated that a great deal of the criticism of Belgrade except that of Pan-Serb origin would be alleviated. Kardelj being relatively “moderate” looks upon the economic problem in Marxian terms and believes that foreign aid is a means toward creating a society devoid of capitalist exploitation. When speaking of foreign capital need he says it should “cooperate with enterprises of the state.”
- Edvard Kardelj, Vice-President of the Presidium of the National Committee of Liberation of Yugoslavia. On March 5, he became Second Vice Premier and Minister for the Constituent Assembly.↩