278. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Yugoslav Ambassador (Mates) and the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy), Department of State, Washington, June 15, 19561
SUBJECT
- Current US Efforts in Behalf of Yugoslavia
Mr. Murphy told the Ambassador that he had asked the latter to call so that he might be informed informally of the difficulties which the Department had been experiencing with Congress in obtaining legislative authorization for additional assistance to Yugoslavia. Mr. Murphy said that the situation had been complicated by the press treatment of President Tito’s remarks in the USSR which had made the Secretary’s task even harder than anticipated and had put the Secretary under pressure by some members of Congress for explanations of current Yugoslav policies. Mr. Murphy also noted that similar trouble had arisen from Tito’s statement in Stalingrad which was open to the interpretation that Yugoslavia might side with Russia in any future war.2
Since the Ambassador had not yet obtained the text of this statement, Mr. Murphy read him English translations of the slightly differing Soviet and Yugoslav versions of it, and a discussion ensued about possible errors in translation. The Ambassador then stated, however, that from the context as he had just heard it, it seemed clear that Tito had only referred to Soviet-Yugoslav solidarity during World War II. He could not assume that Tito’s remarks implied any pledge of future Soviet-Yugoslav alliance in war, since such a move would run counter to the fundamentals of Yugoslav foreign policy which Tito himself had repeatedly confirmed. Mr. Murphy replied that the Secretary had given the statement the same interpretation which the Ambassador had just made, but the Secretary wanted to be sure that he was correct in so doing. Ambassador Mates assured Mr. Murphy that this had to be the case.
Mr. Murphy went on to repeat that, in any event, such ambiguous remarks compounded an already difficult situation. The Secretary had taken a firm position that the situation was unchanged and that the basic premise of US policy towards Yugoslavia was intact. However, the Secretary hoped that Belgrade understood the conditions with which he was dealing and would find it possible to adopt a more helpful attitude.
[Page 728]Mr. Murphy concluded by underlining the importance of the long-range trend of relations between the US and Yugoslavia. These prospects for cooperation ought not be marred by such events as misinterpretations of statements by President Tito. Of course, no one was questioning Tito’s right to say what he wished, but it was desirable to avoid difficulties of this nature.