No. 191
Editorial Note
On May 8, the New York Times published a report by Cyrus Sulzberger disclosing most of the details of the plan for resolving the Trieste dispute that had been worked out in the secret negotiations in London. The following day, it published a report by Sulzberger on his interview with Tito at Bled on May 8, in which Tito had discussed his own plan for a settlement on Trieste, one which Sulzberger said closely resembled the plan being considered in London. On May 11, the Yugoslav newspaper Borba published the full transcript of the Tito–Sulzberger interview.
In telegram 1206 from Belgrade, May 11, Ambassador Riddleberger pointed out that the Borba version differed from the Sulzberger story in that it showed that Tito did not take the initiative in disclosing the elements of the London negotiations, but that he only replied to skillful and well-informed questioning by Sulzberger. Riddleberger said that it was plain that Tito had confirmed publicly many, but not all, of the essential elements of the proposed package deal. (750G.00/5–1154)
As a result of these disclosures, the Department of State instructed Ambassador Luce to inform the Italian Government of the United States displeasure at Tito’s actions and to say that both the Sulzberger and Borba versions were inaccurate in certain respects. Luce was also to indicate that within a short time the United States and the United Kingdom expected to be able to propose to the Italian Government a basis for discussion which would lead to a satisfactory settlement and to ask the Italian Government not to make any statement which would prejudice the possibility of achieving a settlement. (750G.00/5–1154) In telegram 3645 from Rome, May 12, Luce reported that she had communicated these views to Zoppi, who, in the course of their conversation, handed Luce an informal paper presenting a statement of the Italian Government’s displeasure over the disclosures. (750G.00/5–1254)