768.00/12–2954: Telegram
No. 720
The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Riddleberger) to the
Department of State1
509. Embassy’s telegram 505.2 Last night after dinner at Tempo’s house he raised the subject of the Dedijer–Djilas affair. He spoke in indignant terms of Djilas’s taking advantage of Tito’s absence from country3 and violating Yugoslav law. He referred to Djilas as “foreign agent” and said that such actions tend to impair unity of country and are not to be tolerated. He expressed particular concern that Dedijer and Djilas have been treated in foreign press, which he said he had studied carefully, as if they were the ones in [Page 1434] Yugoslavia who were pro-Western and complained that thus the Government has been put in position of seeming to be Cominformist, and would even more be put in such an unfavorable light if it takes measures against Dedijer and Djilas which they deserve. Vladimir Popovic broke in at this point to say, obviously for effect, that “90% of Yugoslav people” would like to see Djilas shot but that of course this would not happen. Tempo concluded by saying that policy of Yugoslavia toward West will not be affected by actions of press.
I took several occasions during discussion which, with Kopcok interpreting, must have lasted nearly an hour, to say that in view of developments of last year in which Yugoslavia’s international position had been improved by Balkan Alliance, Trieste settlement, and Soviet moves toward normalization, news of this nature from Yugoslavia was bound to hit the headlines in Western press. I replied, in answer to a remark by Tempo about irresponsibility of Western press, that they did not start this controversy, it was initiated by Dedijer and that it was inevitable in nature of things that from then on press would seek to make most of it. I point out, however, that these things are often three-day sensations and are forgotten as quickly as they start and that Yugoslav Government had missed opportunity to present its case by cancelling Foreign Office press conference on December 24. I went on to say that obviously Dedijer and Djilas are individuals without an organization and constitute no threat to the regime. I emphasized that although the affair is world news, it is also exclusively an internal Yugoslav matter. After this disclaimer, I said every country faced problems of this character and added a word or two on the practical virtues of a tolerant handling of such matters.
It is obvious that governing group is exasperated and outraged by Dedijer’s and Djilas’s maneuver at this time, taking headlines away from Tito’s trip and, more important, daring publicly to challenge regime and even briefly getting away with it. They show a definite exasperation at restraint which they feel is imposed upon them by considerations affecting their relations with West and I have no doubt that if these considerations did not exist they would promptly have disposed of Dedijer and Djilas in manner indicated both by Balkan custom and Communist practice. (Raymond of New York Times confidentially quotes Dedijer as saying, “If it were not for foreign press I would be hanging from the Terazija”—part of main street) Tempo’s outburst was certainly calculated. It seems to have been a mixture of sounding me out and bawling West out, as well as to reassure us that their foreign policy will not be affected. He showed throughout an incapacity to understand Western reactions and way Western press behaves and is clearly judging both by [Page 1435] [garble] standards. I am in some doubt whether naivete of his reverence to tendency of Djilas’s challenge to impair unity of country reveals a sense of insecurity on part of regime or whether it is simply typical Balkan concern over face and prestige. Perhaps two are not far different.
If Tempo’s remarks represent a political Yugoslav Government decision there is good chance that both Djilas and Dedijer will receive severe jail sentences.
- Repeated for information to London, Paris, and Moscow and pouched to Budapest, Bucharest, Prague, Warsaw, Ankara, and Athens.↩
- Telegram 505, Dec. 29, summarized the events of the previous day relating to the Djilas–Dedijer affair. (768.00/12–2954)↩
- Tito left Yugoslavia on Nov. 29 for an extended trip, including visits to India and Egypt.↩