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

811.2360H/9–2046: Telegram

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

us urgent

Belgrade, September 20, 1946.
[Received September 20—3:55 p.m.]

947. Following is text of Yugoslav reply dated Sept 20 to our verbal request Sept 6 for indemnity for planes and victims of plane incidents.

“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Federative Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and in connection with the conversation which the President of the Council of Ministers of the Federative Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia and Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marshal of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, had with the Ambassador of the United States of America, His Excellency Richard S. Patterson, Jr., has the honor to state the following:

1. Considering the situation arising from the loss of lives of 5 American airmen, the Government of the Federative Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia decided to express its sympathy towards the innocent families of the perished airmen, by allocating one single payment of United States dollars 30,000 to the nearest family of each of the perished members of the crew of the crashed airplane No. 4374.

2. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States of America that orders have been issued to the Chase National Bank of the city of New York to the effect that the amount of United States dollars 150,000 be paid OSD the account of the State Department. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the honor to request the State Department to be kind enough to distribute the said amount among the families of the perished airmen and to kindly inform this Ministry of the performed distribution.

3. This decision of the Government of the Federative Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia was inspired by human feelings, notwithstanding its firm attitude to reject most energetically any responsibility for the regrettable accident. Therefore, the Government of the Federative Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia cannot accept the claim of the Government of the United States of America to pay any compensation for the planes either damaged or destroyed over Yugoslav territory. These planes illegally flew over the Yugoslav territory and the damage was caused through the fault of the crew which did not obey the orders of the Yugoslav authorities to land. Belgrade, 20th September 1946.”⁸²

Sent Department as 947; repeated Paris for the Secretary as 117.

Patterson

[In a note to the Yugoslav Ministry for Foreign Affairs dated September 20, 1946, the Ambassador in Yugoslavia replied to Yugoslav notes of July 26 and August 14, 1946, which alleged improper treatment of Yugoslav officers and men in the American-British zone of occupation of Venezia Giulia. For text of Ambassador Patterson’s note, see Department of State Bulletin, September 29, 1946, page 579.]

82. For a summary of the United States note of October 8, 1946, replying to this note from the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry, see Department of State Bulletin, October 20, 1946, p. 725.