033.6811/11–1654
No. 713
President Tito to President Eisenhower1
Dear Mr. President: My close associate and Vice-President of the Federal Executive Council Mr. Svetozar Vukmanović-Tempo is coming to the United States to discuss the economic co-operation between our two countries. I believe that these discussions will lead to the materialisation of the very beneficial exchange of views which we had on this matter with your associates and our mutual friends, Mr. Harold Stassen and Mr. Robert Murphy. Relying on your understanding and sympathies towards our people, I have asked Mr. Vukmanović to acquaint you personally with our viewpoint regarding this question.
There is no doubt that, in the past critical year, the co-operation between our countries in the economic and military fields has greatly contributed to the maintenance of peace and the prevention of aggression in this part of the world. The valuable aid which your country has been rendering to Yugoslavia, has contributed not only to the strengthening of our security, but also to the overcoming of the great economic difficulties we had to face due to the grave upheavals caused by the last war, to the unparalleled economic pressure to which we were exposed from the East, and to a series of elemental misfortunes suffered by our country in the course of the past few years.
However, regardless of these difficulties, my country and its Government have devoted and will continue to devote the necessary attention to its armed forces which, in the as yet unsettled world conditions, are the safest guarantee of independence and security. I need not emphasize, I am sure, the old truth that, in the final analysis, the military efficiency depends on the economic and political stability.
In this regard, we have exerted all our efforts and will continue to do so. As regards our economic development, we have made the [Page 1421] utmost effort and are prepared for further privations so that the existing favorable prospects may be realised as fully and completely as possible. In the political field we have achieved an all-sided and constructive co-operation with our allies, Greece and Turkey. And, as you have stated yourself, we also exerted considerable efforts and made great sacrifices for the Trieste settlement. I believe that this process of political and military stabilization has to a great extent forced the Eastern European countries to change their policy of pressure and gradually to normalize their relations with us and our Greek and Turkish allies. However, although this decrease of tension creates certain new possibilities for the preservation of world peace, it is our opinion that it will be necessary to continue to make great efforts to achieve more lasting solutions and therefore we still must devote great attention to the requirements of security.
Having in mind your devotion to the cause of peace, security and prosperity in the world, I am deeply convinced that I may count on your personal support for the success of Mr. Vukmanović’s mission.
With my warm personal greetings and best wishes,
Sincerely,2
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This letter was brought to the United States by Vukmanović-Tempo, who apparently forwarded it through the Yugoslav Embassy in Washington to the Department of State for transmission to the President. The letter was an enclosure to Dulles’ letter of Nov. 12 to Eisenhower, in which Dulles indicated that Vukmanović-Tempo wanted Eisenhower to see the letter on Nov. 17 before he met with Eisenhower that day. No record has been found of a meeting on Nov. 17 between Eisenhower and Vukmanović-Tempo.
Vukmanović-Tempo arrived in the United States in November at the head of a delegation which included Stanislav Kopcok and Kiro Gilgorov.
↩ - The source text is not signed.↩