No. 710
Editorial Note
The subject of Yugoslavia’s relations with the Soviet Union was briefly discussed by Director of Central Intelligence Dulles at the 220th meeting of the National Security Council, October 28. Dulles said that it was now clear that Yugoslav-Soviet relations were becoming more and more normalized. This development, he stated, might require a new look at United States policy toward Yugoslavia, although he made it clear that he was not saying that Yugoslavia was likely to abandon the West and return to the Soviet bloc. Dulles indicated that he meant that the developments simply required careful consideration. The memorandum of discussion at this meeting is in Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file.
That same day President Eisenhower, in a memorandum to Secretary Dulles, asked, “Is there not some diplomatic, economic or other action that we might now take aimed at preventing any real rapprochement between the Kremlin and Tito?” Eisenhower wrote that it seemed to him that “some of the best men we can find should urgently specialize on this matter; that we must be prepared to do almost anything to keep Tito not only outside the Kremlin orbit but—so far as possible—actively on our side.” (Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file)
In a memorandum the same day to Assistant Secretary Merchant, Dulles quoted verbatim Eisenhower’s memorandum to him and added the following paragraph:
“I would like to have you get together with Bob Bowie and whoever else in the Department you think can make a real contribution [Page 1414] and give this matter some preliminary thought and then report to me. I think it might be worth considering calling in some qualified outsiders as idea men, and I would like your recommendation on this score also.”
A line was drawn through this paragraph, which may have indicated that it had been deleted from the memorandum. (EUR files, lot 59 D 233, “Yugoslavia”)