811.2360H/8–3046
The Yugoslav Chargé (Makiedo) to the Acting Secretary of State
Pov. Br. 1264
The Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia presents his compliments to the Honorable the Acting Secretary of State and has the honor to inform that, in connection with the continued flights over Yugoslav territory, which constitute offenses to the sovereignty of our country by military and civilian forces of the United States of America, the government of the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia referred several notes of protest to the government of the United States of America, requesting that the unauthorized flights be stopped and that inquiries be undertaken toward establishing those responsible. In neither respect was a satisfactory answer given nor were measures undertaken to prevent the [Page 935] flights. Furthermore, the government of the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia received no satisfactory answer to its last two notes,46 that of August 10 (No. 9470) concerning flights over our territory and the forced landing of an American military transport plane of the C–47 type on August 9, nor that concerning the flight of the second American plane number 47374 on August 19, whose crew unfortunately met a tragic end that might, in any case have been avoided had the crew obeyed the invitation to land. Both planes, like many before them, flew far inside Yugoslav territory, the first over 70 kilometers and the second about 50 kilometers. Neither plane flew over Yugoslavia in an emergency caused by bad weather, for the weather over the Alps was satisfactory, as could be seen very well from the Yugoslav side of the Alps. Therefore the government of the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia cannot be held responsible for the victims of the burned plane on August 19, as it had undertaken everything possible to avoid such results in similar flights which had taken place, and which might easily occur at a border where our army, like that of every independent country, is charged with guarding the integrity of our territory and the sovereignty of our country.
In connection with the above mentioned, the government of the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia again requests the government of the United States of America to reply as to what steps it has undertaken to end the unauthorized and intentional flights over Yugoslav territory by American military and civilian planes, so that such cases shall not be repeated. Action is necessary as soon as posible, since unauthorized flight over Yugoslav territory occurred again in the same region even after the incident of August 19—on August 23 there were flights by three bombers, three fighters and one transport; August 24, eight planes flew over—three bombers, three fighters and two transports; August 25, three planes, two fighters and one transport; August 26, nine planes, seven fighters, one transport and one bomber; August 27, nine planes, five bombers, two transports and two fighters. It is obvious, from the number of planes that flew over every day, that all cases could not be the result of emergency or bad weather, but that in most cases the flights over our territory were intentional.
Marshal Tito, in his statement to the Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr. Richard C. Patterson, Jr., said he has forbidden the shooting at planes that might fly over Yugoslav territory, [Page 936] presuming that for its part the government of the United States of America would undertake the steps necessary to prevent these flights, except in the case of emergency or bad weather, for which arrangements could be made by agreement between American and Yugoslav authorities. The government of the Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia considers that the intentional and gross offense to the sovereignty of Yugoslavia which these flights constitute cannot be borne, and asks that the American government urgently undertake the necessary steps so that in the future such flights may be prevented, since they harm good relations between the United States of America and Yugoslavia and lead to undesirable incidents.