287. Memorandum of Discussion at the 298th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, September 27, 19561
[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and discussion of subjects unrelated to Yugoslavia.]
General Cabell then said he had a few remarks on the alleged split among Soviet policy makers regarding the problem of Marshal Tito. To everyone’s surprise we had learned that Tito had flown back to Moscow with Khrushchev who had been Tito’s guest for a few days in Yugoslavia.2 Following this development there had been a flood of intelligence material alleging new and serious rifts over the Yugoslav problem among the Soviet leaders. It was the burden of many of these reports that Khrushchev was now completely isolated in support of the new and more liberal approach to Yugoslavia. Certain Yugoslav sources were insisting that Khrushchev’s opponents are arguing that Tito’s policies are dangerously weakening the control of the USSR over its satellites. Whatever the precise truth of all these rumors, General Cabell said that the CIA believed that recent Soviet policy toward the satellites had given rise to concern and that the Soviet leaders believed they will now have to shift their course and again tighten their controls. On the other hand, General Cabell pointed out that Bulganin and Mikoyan had been at least as closely associated with the new policy of liberalism toward the satellites as Khrushchev himself. Accordingly, General Cabell was inclined to doubt if there existed any genuine crisis in the top Soviet leadership.
[Here follows discussion of a subject unrelated to Yugoslavia.]
Secretary Humphrey informed the Council apropos of General Cabell’s comments on Yugoslavia, that the Yugoslav Finance Minister had informed him yesterday of the details of the recently announced Soviet loan to Yugoslavia. It developed in point of fact that there was not a single dime of cash in the loan. It all consisted of goods and services. Accordingly, the Yugoslavs expect to turn to the United States and the Western Powers for a loan in hard cash.
At this point General Cabell announced to the Council that the press ticker carried the news that all the top Soviet leaders had flown to the Black Sea area to meet with Tito and Khrushchev. Governor Stassen thought it was possible that Tito would either have to sign [Page 748] up with the Soviets or else be unable to make his return to Yugoslavia.
[Here follow the remaining agenda items.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on September 28.↩
- Reference is to the talks held between Tito and Khrushchev in Yugoslavia September 19–27, and in the Crimea September 27–October 5. An analysis of the Khrushchev visit is contained in Intelligence Brief No. 2007, September 25. (Department of State, PPS Files: Lot 66 D 487, Yugoslavia) Reports on the meetings from the Embassy in Belgrade are ibid., Central Files 003.6168 and 661.68. Micunović’s account of the meetings in the Crimea is in Moscow Diary, pp. 112–117.↩