Office of the Historian

302. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Yugoslavia1

Washington, May 14, 1957—6:30 p.m.

2186. USRO pass CINCEUR. Dept announced May 142 that executive branch with approval of President has modified restrictions imposed last October on military aid deliveries to Yugoslavia, and that Defense has been authorized resume shipments of various items including jet planes procured under prior programs but temporarily suspended. At same time deliveries will be at “more modest rate” over next few years than planned earlier.

Letter from Dept to Defense3 informs latter that no items remain specifically embargoed, but requests that plane shipments be limited to ten planes per month between now and November when question of further plane deliveries will be reviewed at high level. Neither public nor Yugoslavs are being informed this limitation, but newsmen have been told there will be no attempt make up for lost time regarding deliveries.

Defense will issue specific instructions on program and shipments shortly.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 768.5–MSP/5–1457. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Mark and signed by Henry P. Leverich for Dulles. Repeated to Paris for USRO.↩
  2. For text of the press release, see Department of State Bulletin, June 10, 1957, p. 939. In a memorandum of a conversation he had with Ambassador Mates on May 12 at the home of Eleanor Dulles, Secretary Dulles recorded that he had informed the Yugoslav Ambassador that the United States would soon be announcing a change in policy regarding the supply of weapons to Yugoslavia. (Department of State, Central Files, 768.56/5–1257)↩
  3. Letter from Murphy to Mansfield D. Sprague, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, May 14. (Ibid., 768.5–MSP/5–1457)↩