764.00/2–253: Telegram
No. 21
The Chargé in the Soviet Union
(Beam) to
the Department of State
1
1110. In light satellite purges, … mentioning good prospect one of largest about to come off soon in Hungary, it occurs to us it might be beneficial if Tito and his associates as among few Comintern birds to escape Soviet chopping block could start to crow if not to sing. They might publicly cite their experience of impossibility of dealing with Soviets and pour scorn on others for waiting too long at their peril, warning those to jump who still can. They could at least point out that satellite aggressive policy against Yugoslavia [Page 44] carried out at Soviet behest against community Balkan interests has been rewarded by disgrace and personal disaster. Object would be not to start premature popular revolt but to add to discomfiture satellite leaders who are expendable whatever risks they might care to run.
- Repeated to Budapest and Belgrade.↩