740.00119 Control (Italy)/3–546: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Deputy Political Adviser at Allied Force Headquarters (Byington), at Caserta
93. Your 251[259], Mar 5. Agreement has been reached with UK Govt that SAC should be directed through CCS37 to issue statement along following lines:
“Recent troop movements have occurred in the area of Venezia Giulia under Yugoslav military administration. At the same time there has been renewed and unwarranted criticism from abroad of Allied Military Government in Zone A. Attempts have been made to create incidents detrimental to public order in AMG territory.
There should be no question as to what attitude the Allies will take in the circumstances.
The Allied Military Government authorities will continue as in the past to administer the territory in Zone A in the interests of peace and security. The troop reinforcements in the Yugoslav zone have been described as defensive in character. But the only claimant to this area with armed forces in Zone A is Yugoslavia itself. Defensive measures are obviously not necessary against the only other forces in Zone A—the British and American forces—stationed there to maintain order pending the peace settlement.
The representatives of the Soviet Union, France, the United States, and Great Britain are now at work preparing a just and fair peace settlement.
Until this settlement is achieved, our obligations and our responsibilities are clear. Public order will be enforced with justice, and in our zone we shall tolerate no attempt to prejudge in any way the final disposition of the territory. To this end the American and British Governments have authorized me to declare that it is their firm intention to maintain their present position in Venezia Giulia until an agreed settlement of the territorial dispute has been reached and put into effect.”
UK Govt has questioned advisability of including substance of of third para of statement, but has agreed that it might be retained in draft statement for further consideration at AFHQ in light of existing situation. If in view thereof SAC feels that this para should be deleted, Dept would not interpose objection, although it is felt here that it would be preferable to include it.38
[For text of note from the Chargé in Belgrade to the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry, delivered on March 30, 1946, regarding the capture of General Draža Mihailović, see Department of State Bulletin, April 21, 1946, page 634. Instructions regarding delivery of this note were contained in telegram 182, March 27, 1946, to Belgrade (860H.00/3–2746). The Yugoslav reply was contained in a note from the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry dated April 4 which was handed to the Chargé in Belgrade on April 5 and was transmitted to the Department in telegram 389, April 5, from Belgrade (860H.00/4–546). For text of the Yugoslav note, see Department of State Bulletin, April 21, 1946, page 669.]
- In message Fan 653, March 25, not printed, the Combined Chiefs of Staff authorized General Morgan to issue the statement quoted here.↩
- Telegram 367, March 27, from Caserta, reported that Allied military authorities at Allied Force Headquarters at Caserta had decided to issue to the press without delay as a statement by the Supreme Allied Commander the statement quoted above. It would include the third paragraph, but the following textual additions were made: 1. the words “and to undermine the authority of public security agencies in Venezia Giulia” were added after the words “AMG territory” at the end of the first paragraph; 2. the words “and to uphold the authority of the civil police” were inserted after the words “peace and security” at the end of the first sentence in the third paragraph. (740.00119 Control (Italy)/3–2746) The statement was issued to the press by General Morgan on March 27.↩