Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume VI

760H.68/8–1149: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Yugoslavia ¹

secret

Washington, August 11, 1949—5 p. m.

450. Reurtel 755 Aug 4. Dept appreciates Yugo must act with caution in moving toward closer relations with Greece. Accordingly, timing of attempts to encourage that evolution and apply pressure left to your judgment. Bebler’s receptive attitude on opening railway to Salonika and on free zones indicates time may be ripe for Grk approach to Yugo on those subjects. Grk Emb here has been informed Yugo FonOff showed interest and favorable attitude as reported urtel 755. Grk Emb believes railway line in running order on Grk side. Athens pls confirm.

Recently completed UNSCOB report to fourth session GA,² which bears down hard on Alb and Bulg while stating Yugo aid “has diminished and may have ceased”, makes possible UNSCOB recommendations next month differentiating between Yugo on one hand and Alb and Bulg on other. You may be able get from FonOff indication re line Yugo intends to pursue in GA discussions on Grk question (re Athens tel 1553 Aug 6 Combal 466³) and prospects for normalization Grk-Yugo relations before or during GA session. Some concrete progress this direction wld be helpful to USDel in handling Greek case GA.

You will recall that in UN conciliation talks last year Evatt proposed draft Grk-Yugo declaration Dec 1, 1948 which Yugo turned down on ground matter cld not be considered alone but only as part of entire problem involving also Alb and Bulg, and Northern Epirus question blocked Grk-Alb accord (See Embtel 1527 Dec 11, 1948 and H. N. Howard memo of March 10, 1949 on conciliation talks, Appendix XIV, pouched to you⁴). You might inquire of Yugos whether consideration for Alb and Bulg position which held up their consent last year has same weight now. You may say that US believes Yugo-Grk agreement on lines Dec 1 draft wld be sound basis for stabilizing frontier, to advantage both states, and for more normal relations in future.

Acheson

1. Repeated to Athens as 1273, London as 2860, Paris as 2980, and Moscow as 575.
2. Regarding the Report of the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans to the Fourth Session of the General Assembly, see the second editorial note, p. 379.
3. Not printed; it reported that a Yugoslav official had told an UNSCOB official of Yugoslavia’s great dissatisfaction with the activities of the Special Committee (501.BB. Balkan/8–649).
4. Neither printed. For authoritative accounts of the preparation of the draft declaration under reference, see the articles cited in footnote 4 to telegram 308, Combal 368, February 19, from Athens, p. 254.