860S.00/4–1448: Circular telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Offices 1

confidential

Yugo FonMin has given US and UK Ambs Belgrade note which is long harangue against US–UK mil govt in Trieste and which is noteworthy for its excessive disregard for facts and for commonly accepted definitions of words relating to civil rights.2 Emb observes that it reveals Yugo intentions by indicating that Yugos are discarding subtler tactics of bargaining over Trieste and Gorizia and have chosen stubborn insistence on letter of Ital peace treaty as their tactics. Treaty now “constitutes internatl obligation to be fulfilled conscientiously and cannot be altered”. Note even goes so far as to make [Page 524] fantastic claim that Yugos are respecting not only Ital peace treaty but also Hague convention, Atlantic Charter and Tehran and Crimea decisions.

Lovett
  1. Sent to Berlin, Moscow, Paris, and Vienna.
  2. In telegram 416 of April 12, not printed, Cannon summarized the Yugoslav note (860S.00/4–1248).

    In despatch 355 of April 12, not printed, the Embassy in Belgrade forwarded to the Department an English translation in 19 typewritten pages (860S.00/4–1248).

    The note is printed in full in document S/944, United Nations, Security Council, official records, supplement for august 1948, pp. 85–99.

    In telegram 420 of April 13, not printed, Cannon reported that the note was published in full by all of the newspapers of Belgrade (860H.9111 RR/4–1348).