868.00/9–245: Telegram
The Chargé in Yugoslavia (Shantz) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 3—12:10 a.m.]
427. Following statement was issued by Tanjug August 30 and published in Politica August 31:
“The reign of terror imposed upon the Slavic inhabitants of Aegean Macedonia by Greek Monarcho-Fascists and incidents on the Yugoslav Greek border which were provoked by Greek soldiers and Fascists bands, former collaborationists of the occupier, have left a deep impression on our entire public. This impression became deeper as the incidents became more numerous and as the reign of terror increased in intensity and grew wider in scope.
It is understandable that our Government could not remain indifferent to the events occurring on the border and the suffering which our compatriots on the other side of the border are still enduring. For this reason it informed our great Allies regarding this matter and at the same time called these disturbing conditions to the attention of the Greek Government.
That our great Allies correctly understand the concern of our Government may be seen from the fact that the Government of the United [Page 342] States proposed the creation of two committees of investigation which would include Allied representatives in Belgrade and Athens and which would have the duty of investigating both the border incidents and our charges regarding all forms of violence perpetrated against the Slavic inhabitants of Aegean Macedonia. Certain that the facts it has cited to the Allies are irrefutable, our Government has expressed the desire to have all the four great Allies—the Soviet Union, America, Great Britain and France—represented on these commissions because it regards their resulting opinion as the greatest guarantee for the objective investigation of this problem. It has particularly emphasized that it can agree to an investigation only if the main purpose of such an investigation were the question of the reign of terror which the Greek Monarcho-Fascists are still imposing on our compatriots in Aegean Macedonia.”