501.BC/12–1247: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson)
598. For Ambassador Johnson. Dept anticipates that question of Trieste will again be raised in near future in SC. Information from Belgrade and Trieste suggests that Yugoslavs will try a new tack and will present a facade of friendly desire for cooperation with aim of consolidating present zones of military government in FTT into one entity, either under present military regime or, more probably, under a Governor appointed by SC.
We regard this anticipated Yugoslav-Soviet move as no more than a cover to hide basic intention of eventually integrating the Free Territory into Yugoslavia, either through infiltration of any government which may be established, or by any other feasible means.
UK and US Governments are content to maintain present status quo in Trieste. We would only be willing to relinquish our present de facto control if there were conclusive evidence that a really strong Governor could be appointed by SC, and that his security forces would enable him effectively to maintain integrity of FTT. It does not seem possible that such a Governor possessing such forces will be found, owing to unwillingness of USSR to accept such a man with such forces.
We anticipate that in SC a Yugoslav or Soviet initiative may presently be expected with regard to Governorship and that finger will point to Buisseret since most Members of SC, with exception of UK, in one form or another have indicated their willingness to consider him as a compromise candidate.
You are requested to inform your Soviet colleague that in light of additional information regarding Buisseret, and in view of experience we have had in governance of Trieste since R day, we can now no longer consider his candidacy and will not find it possible to accept him as Governor. You should appraise your British and French colleagues of this approach to Gromyko and frankly inform Belgian representative that we much regret our inability to support his candidate.
You should continue to evince a desire to get best possible Governor but should not seek to take lead in finding a suitable candidate. Rather our attitude should be that we have with great patience put forward name after name only to find our nominees unacceptable to USSR, and time has now come for other Delegations to submit new lists of potential Governors.
[Page 130]A minor irritation consists of two notes to this Government which Yugoslav Representative circularized to Members of SC as reported in your 1168 Nov. 7 and 1180 Nov. 8.1 These notes will presently be answered and you will be asked to submit copies of them to your colleagues in SC, without however making any endeavor to comment on our replies other than to say that they speak for themselves.
Repeated to Trieste as 136 Rome as 2610, Belgrade as 781 London as 5237.
- Neither printed.↩