297. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Yugoslavia1
590. Secretary today informed Mates United States now proposes April 24 through 26 as dates Tito visit Washington. Also he pointed out developments here require that visit be limited to official business in Washington and that it was not now practical to plan [Page 763] any United States tour because of the mounting opposition and certainty of demonstrations and possibility of danger. Perhaps this will die down and permit some visit to be arranged at the last [minute] but Secretary told Mates neither we nor they should count upon this.
We realize it is possible that Tito may not want to come under these circumstances but breadth and intensity of opposition not only in Catholic groups but in anti-Communist groups generally, both in the country and in Congress, are causing us serious concern.
FYI: Mates remarked “This suggests our relations not on very solid basis.”
We regret Tito seems unwilling to make any gesture to mitigate the opposition and make him more acceptable but this is of course his affair and we should not press him.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 768.11/1–1757. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Dulles and cleared with Murphy. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1987, 333. Earlier in the day, Dulles had discussed Tito’s visit with the President who agreed with his line of reasoning and stated “that he was disappointed that Tito had not been willing to indicate a more liberal approach to some of his internal problems.” A memorandum of this discussion is ibid., 1982, 1975.↩