Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Eastern Europe, The Soviet Union, Volume VI

740.00119 Council/8–3146: Telegram

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

secret
us urgent

Paris, August 31, 1946—4 p.m.
[Received 8:15 p.m.]

51. Delsec 882. From the Secretary. Please deliver to Yugoslav Government a written note reading substantially as follows:

“In order that there should be no misunderstanding between our two Governments I should like to inform you exactly what I am reporting to my Government following my conversation with General Velebit on August 29. If I have not correctly reported the position of Marshal Tito and the Yugoslav Government I hope you will at once let me know.

“I am sure that your Government would not want there to be the slightest risk of loss of life or property by any misunderstanding on the part of the American Government of the assurances given to me by Marshal Tito as to the steps which have been taken to prevent the recurrence of the incidents with respect to which the Marshal expressed to me his extreme sorrow and regret. It is all the more important that we should guard against such misunderstanding because already some misunderstanding has arisen from the fact that I informed my Government that it was the intention of the Marshal to confirm our assurances in writing, instead of merely confirming the report I made to my Government of our conversation.

“My despatch to my Government reads as follows:⁴⁹

‘I talked with General Velebit on August 29 and inquired re the request of my Government, which had been communicated by the Chargé d’Affaires to him on August 25. This request was for a written confirmation from Marshal Tito of the oral statements he had made to me as well as to the press expressing the regrets of the Yugoslav Government re the loss of American lives and declaring that orders had been given by the Yugoslav Government that no foreign planes are to be shot at, that planes forced off course by weather trouble, loss of direction or mechanical difficulties in reasonable numbers are not to be molested, and that means for signaling distress by such plane may be worked out.

‘General Velebit told me that he had communicated our request to Marshal Tito who stated that every promise he had made orally to Ambassador Patterson would be strictly fulfilled 100 percent and that Marshal Tito was surprised that we should ask him to restate his assurances in writing.

‘I replied that my Government having sent a written note naturally expected a written answer and that they had only its Ambassador’s report of what the Marshal has said.

‘General Velebit answered that the Ambassador’s report had been published and since the Yugoslav Government had issued no dementi, it had been accepted.

‘I am transmitting a copy of this communication to the Yugoslav Government so that it may advise me if I have not correctly reported the position of Marshal Tito.’”

Of course you should present this note as on your own responsibility and not as on instructions from your Government.⁵⁰

Sent to Belgrade 51, repeated Department 4380.

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Byrnes

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49. The substance of Ambassador Patterson’s report set forth here was contained in telegram 99, August 29, 11 a.m., from Belgrade to Paris for the Secretary of State (811.2360H/9–746).
50. In telegram 870, September 2, from Belgrade, Ambassador Patterson stated that in view of his talk with Marshal Tito on August 31 and Marshal Tito’s note of August 31, he was not delivering the communication set forth in this telegram (811.2360H/9–246).