Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The British Commonwealth, Western and Central Europe, Volume V

840.4016/1–2946: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Patterson)

restricted

Washington, February 7, 1946—8 p.m.

83. Report on Yugo note urtel 78 Jan 22 apparently garbled in stating 110 persons comprise “German minority” remaining in Yugo. Please clarify this figure.³⁶

Regardless of extent of minority remaining you may point out to FonOff in answer to undated note that expulsion of Germans from Yugo not specifically covered in Potsdam agreement. US would agree to extension of principles of orderly and humane transfer to any transfer of Germans from Yugo agreed to by ACC Berlin. Action of Yugo Govt reported in Vienna’s 134 Jan 29³⁷ repeated to you as 14 is not likely to elicit support of four powers on ACC Berlin since unauthorized expulsion of Germans into Austria is contrary to requests made to Yugo Govt by US, British, French and Soviet representatives acting in accordance with resolution of Allied Council Austria of Nov 10 Deptel 429 Nov. 28.³⁸ US would consider request in Yugo note only if assurances are received that unauthorized expulsions into Austria have ceased and Yugo Govt will take strict measures to insure adherence to its reply Dec 11 to US note urtel 743 Dec. 12.³⁹

Sent to Belgrade as 83; repeated to Vienna as 118.

Byrnes

36. The text of telegram 78 was subsequently corrected to make the figure read 110,000. This telegram reported on the receipt of a note, undated, from the Foreign Office stating the desire of the Yugoslav government to return to Germany the remainder of the German minority numbering 110,000. Yugoslavia felt that its wishes coincided with those of the great powers which had authorized similar transfers on the part of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland (840.4016/1–2246).
37. Not printed; it reported on recent cases of expulsion by the Yugoslavs of Germans into Austria in which the expellees had been roughly handled to the extent that several deaths resulted (840.4016/1–2946).
38. This telegram repeated, mutatis mutandis, telegram 417 to Prague, for text of which see Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ii, p. 1315.
39. Ibid., p. 1323. This telegram quoted a Yugoslav note stating that there was no intention of instigating an expulsion of Germans from that country.