750G.00/8–1354
No. 238
The Chief United States
Negotiator in London (Thompson) to the Assistant
Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant)
top
secret
London, August 13, 1954.
Dear Livie: Jimmy Riddleberger’s telegram1 reporting his conversation with Popovic on August 12th was a great disappointment. Apparently Jimmy accepted his negative attitude on territory without any question or discussion. This will most certainly have given the Yugoslavs the idea that we do not take the matter very seriously. I am afraid, therefore, that any further pressure on the Yugoslavs will have to be exerted in Washington and not in Belgrade.
Sincerely yours,
Tommy
- In telegram 122 from Belgrade, Aug. 12, Riddleberger reported the substance of a conversation he had the previous evening with Popović, in which Riddleberger had tried again to ascertain whether any possibility existed of Yugoslav concessions on territory. Riddleberger stated that Popović, whose attitude was unchanged on the question, had said that Yugoslavia had with great difficulty accepted the U.S.–U.K. proposal on territory and that Yugoslavia could go no further. Popović also expressed his hope that the United States and the United Kingdom would make the most strenuous effort with the Italian Government to have this point accepted. Riddleberger also reported that Tito had told the Belgian Minister on Aug. 11 that Yugoslavia could not be expected to make more concessions on territory. (750G.00/8–1254)↩