811.2360H/8–2046: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Patterson)
553. Following are excerpts regarding Yugoslavia from transcript press conference I held this morning:
“Acting Sec. We have this morning a note which has been delivered to the Yugoslav Government in which we protest very vigorously against the action which it took in regard to this C–47 which was brought down on August 9 in Yugoslavia and reports of another such episode which has taken place.23 We point out here, as I told you the other day, that we have been briefing our crews very carefully indeed that they should not fly over Yugoslav territory. I pointed out to you the other day how difficult that is on account of a slight jut of Yugoslav territory which goes across the direct route from Vienna to Rome, and on account of bad weather. We recite the facts of this particular flight and point out that instead of a plane which was lost and trying to get its bearings being given help, as it would in practically every other part of the world, the plane is attacked and shot down, which seems to us to be an outrageous performance.
We point out that there is another plane which has not been heard of, and when last heard of reported itself under machine-gun fire. It might interest you to have the pilot’s report on this particular flight, which has just been cabled to us by the military attaché.
We also have a report from the Consul who, with the assistant military attaché was permitted to see four crew members and three United States passengers, including one civilian, at 5:00 p.m. August 16 in the presence of a Yugoslav Fourth Army officer.24 The Consul reports that the United States personnel stated that they were getting the best treatment and only objected to being under close guard. The co-pilot told the Consul that aircraft that had appeared in front of the plane bore markings resembling British, and they thought they were over Udine and did not understand the signal of the other plane, but the United States plane rocked wings in reply. The co-pilot thought only two planes attacked. According to other testimony, there were three planes around them. Then the rest of this gives about the same report as I read you.
Q. What was the name of the pilot?
A. The pilot is Captain William Crombie.
[Page 924]Q. Mr. Secretary, in connection with the note to Yugoslavia about the airplane incidents, do we have any detailed information regarding the reported incident yesterday of a plane being shot down?
A. I think not. Let’s see what we say about that. The only thing it said in the note is that, after talking about the first incident, we say, ‘Meanwhile it is reported from Trieste that a second United States plane en route to Italy from Austria is missing after having last reported itself under machine-gun attack.’ We have no further information. Planes have been sent out looking for that plane which has not turned up.
Q. In that connection, Sir, are there any plans under consideration for giving planes flying that route more means of self-defence?
A. I haven’t heard of it. They have cut out all flights over Yugoslavia this morning.
Q. Mr. Secretary, the paper this morning speaks of the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry having filed several protests with the United States against American planes flying over Yugoslav territory. Did the State Department ever answer those protests? Are they a matter of record?
A. I don’t want to rely on my memory. We have had correspondence about this matter for some time. As I said to you before, this is not the kind of a matter which in normal circumstances and in other parts of the world leads to friction between governments. The only flights which have taken place over Yugoslavia are those of planes which are lost and through inadequate radio beaming cannot find out where they are, and when they come out of the overcast they are several miles into Yugoslav territory. It is the kind of thing which would happen on the Mexican border or the Canadian border, between many countries. Nobody shoots down planes that are lost between clouds and are trying to get home. That isn’t the ordinary aid to navigation with which they are familiar.
Q. Mr. Secretary, in this connection has the Yugoslav Government given any indication at all as to why they are so sensitive about this particular area? Are there troop concentrations?
A. Not that I know of.
Q. Any allegations that they need military security? A. Not that I know of.
Q. What is the basis of their objections? Why do they object?
A. Any nation has a right, of course, to say that planes of no other nation, without its permission, shall fly over its territory, and nobody wants to fly over anybody else’s territory without permission. But as we have constantly pointed out, in flying you get lost, particularly on borders.
Q. Mr. Secretary, has there been any negotiation or discussion of a possible reciprocal air treaty with Yugoslavia such as we have with many other countries?
A. I don’t know. I will be glad to find out and answer that correctly. My memory wouldn’t be good.
Q. Mr. Secretary, have we ever asked Yugoslavia for permission to fly over Yugoslav territory?
A. I can’t answer that. I mean I can’t answer it because I don’t [Page 925] know. I would be glad to answer it if I did, and I will try to find out the answer.
Q. A moment ago you referred to this as an ‘outrageous performance’. I wonder if we would be allowed to quote you directly on that?
A. Sure, it is.”
- For text of note delivered to the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry by Ambassador Patterson on August 20, see Department of State Bulletin, September 1, 1946, p. 415. Telegram 1139, August 19, 7 p.m., from Vienna, and telegram 708, August 19, 5 p.m., from Caserta, informed the Department of State and the Secretary of State in Paris of the downing of a second C–47 aircraft over Yugoslavia on August 19 (811.2360H/8–1946).↩
- For Consul Hohenthal’s report of August 19, see Department of State Bulletin, September 1, 1946, p. 416.↩