Office of the Historian
No. 111

750G.00/9–351: Telegram

Leonard Unger , United States Political Adviser to the Commander of the British-United States Zone of the Free Territory of Trieste ( Winterton ), to the Secretary of State 1

secret
Trieste, September 3, 1951—3 p.m.

269. Strongly support policy we should not involve ourselves in geographical details possible Trieste settlement (see my immediately [Page 244] preceding tel2) but recommend Dept consider whether US and/or UK Govts could not appreciably increase chances Itals and Yugos reaching such settlement by helping now, in advance of initiation negots, to define more closely their terms of reference. Believe recent official statements Yugo and Ital Govt leaders reveal attitudes and positions less favorable to settlement than some months ago and I fear that, even if brought together, any further progress may be nipped in bud by inflexible stand taken by one or both in opening exchanges.

First logical step is assure each party other desires negotiations, as suggested Deptel Rome 990 Aug 29,3 but suggest this be followed by formulation, in consultation with each party separately, of brief terms reference upon which both would agree firmly to base negots. Terms might be those referred to para 4 mytel 174 Aug 9,4 with or without ref to tripartite proposal, or ethnic principle as mentioned by Sec State (Deptel sent Belgrade 220 Aug 29)5 and enlarged by Rome’s tel 1039 Sept 1,6 or some others. This would get Yugos and Itals over preliminary steps and bring them directly to geographic details; while these raise real differences would hope compromise possible in view small areas and populations involved.

Realize undesirability so involving ourselves in negots that we risk being saddled by both sides with blame for outcome, whatever it may be. Believe foregoing procedure substantially avoids this danger, however, and is worth risking considering unfortunate consequences of breakdown negots at outset and that Trieste in present unsettled state has even greater potential for involving US and Brit in trouble with Itals and Yugos.7

Unger
  1. Repeated to Rome, Belgrade, London, and Paris.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Supra.↩
  4. Document 103.↩
  5. Not printed, but see footnote 4, Document 109.↩
  6. Not printed, but see ibid.↩
  7. In telegram 255 to Trieste, September 7, the Department of State informed Unger that his recommendation was not approved because it would lead to an involvement in the substance of the contention which the Department wanted to avoid at that time. (750G.00/9–751)↩