860H.00/4–2347: Telegram
The Chargé in Yugoslavia (Cabot) to the Secretary of State
410. In 13-page note dated April 17 but received today Foreign Office replies to Embassy note 229 of April 8.1 Summary follows:
Yugoslav Government has frequently requested extradition of Yugoslav quislings and believes only itself and Yugoslav courts have right to decide guilt of such persons. Government extremely [apparent [Page 791] omission] with delays and with arrangements to be made by Allies with Italian authorities for apprehension of quislings at large in Italy. Responsibility for such apprehension rests with Allied military authorities who should complete arrests prior to withdrawal from Italy. Yugoslavs protest Allied intention to warn Italians to surrender only those refugees indisputably guilty as only Yugoslav courts can establish extent of guilt. Anglo-American suggestions with regard to voluntary return of refugees are unacceptable as Yugoslavs have made every effort to facilitate repatriation while Allied altitude has made repatriation impossible in permitting terror and anti-Yugoslav propaganda in camps and in forbidding pro-return propaganda.
Successful settlement this question depends on change of attitude accordance proposals contained in note of Yugoslav Ambassador London of November 30, 1946 (ten points our [their] note quoted).2 Yugoslav Government therefore rejects proposals contained in Embassy note and considers amnesty already granted to all quislings except criminals sufficiently extensive. Yugoslav Government repeats that it is responsibility of US and UK Governments to extradite all quislings prior to withdrawal from Italy.
Texts of notes being airmailed.3
Sent Dept 410, repeated Rome for USPolAd, Leghorn 26, London 11, Moscow 20.
- Regarding the Embassy note under reference here, see telegram 355, April 8, from Belgrade, p. 785.↩
- The Yugoslav note referred to here was sent to the British Foreign Office.↩
- Despatch 812,
April 23 from Belgrade, not printed, to which the text of the
Yugoslav note of April 17 was attached as an enclosure, analyzed the
Yugoslav note in detail and made the following concluding
observation:
“In short, the Yugoslav note is blunt in tone, sweeping in the demands it makes upon the United States and Great Britain with regard to the delivery of Yugoslav quislings and a virtually complete rejection of the Anglo-American proposals. If the Embassy’s information is correct, however, it appears that many of the Yugoslav demands are only too well justified. We must not let either the provocative tenor of the note or our many just grievances at Yugoslavia’s conduct blind us to the deplorable picture which our record in this matter presents. The Embassy most strongly recommends that the Department approach the Yugoslav note in a spirit of seeking to correct a shocking situation rather than to cover over its existence.” (740.00116 EW/4–2347)
↩