740.00119 Control (Italy)/5–1845: Telegram
The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Patterson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 18—10:50 p.m.]
93. Foreign Office has just handed me a note in Serbo-Croat dated May 17th from Marshal Tito together with the following translation:
“With reference to your letter of May 15th, 1700 hours50 will you kindly transmit to the Government of the United States of America the following attitudes of the Yugoslav Government:
“The Yugoslav Government has not up to today in any case expressed their opinion or demonstrated by deeds their wish to settle militarily the question of ‘Venezia Giulia’ and Trieste. Our government fully agrees that the problems of the territories which Yugoslavia has her claims will be finally solved by the general peace settlement.
“Yugoslavia is the only country in Europe which from the very beginning of the aggression on our peoples until the end of this war has been the most faithful Ally of the United Nations in their struggle against the common enemies. In this struggle Yugoslavia suffered, in proportion to the number of her population and material possibilities, the greatest losses of all European nations. The National Liberation Movement, the Partisans, and the present Yugoslav Army had to the end of this war more than 300,000 in dead, and about 200,000 heavy casualties out of which a great many will be invalids for life. These were the losses only on the field, fighting for the common Allied cause, while the losses caused by Fascist terror over the peaceful population of Yugoslavia amount to about 1,300,000 people. Most of the towns and villages in Yugoslavia have been completely destroyed, a well known fact all over the world.
“This is the contribution Yugoslavia as a faithful Ally gave for the common Allied cause in the struggle against the German, Italian and [Page 1166] other aggressors. Accordingly, the Yugoslav Government considers that Yugoslavia would be done a tremendous injustice if she would not be acknowledged all the Allied rights as a belligerent country on the side of the United Nations.
“Trieste and ‘Venezia Giulia’ were occupied by the forces of Democratic Federative Yugoslavia in fierce fighting against the German occupators and their Allies and the Italian Fascists. During the battles for ‘Venezia Giulia’, in the last days of April, besides the losses the Slovene Partisans had there in the course of 3 years, Yugoslavia had 8,000 dead and even more wounded, and took over 15,000 German prisoners in Fiume-Trieste-Gorizia area. It is meant by that that Yugoslavia as a belligerent has all the rights to hold this territory occupied till the final decision at the peace conference is taken.
“The Yugoslav Army has come to this territory not as an Army to carry out the annexation, but as a victorious Allied Army, which is obvious through the fact that though Yugoslav Army in its advance took a large part of Furlania, west of the Isonzo River together with the towns of Udine, Cividale and so on, it was ordered by us to withdraw to the Isonzo River, in spite of Yugoslavia having her claims on certain parts of this territory on the ground of ethical [ethnical?] reasons which she will set up at the peace conference. Thence, this has been a pure military demarcation between the two Allied Armies in order to avoid any incident.
“The Yugoslav Government agree that the Allied Forces use the port of Trieste and the communications running from Trieste via Gorizia to Tarvisio with the provision that this communication be controlled and protected by the Allied Forces. Besides that, in Trieste a common military commission for coordination should be established, the details of which are exposed in the proposals sent to Field Marshal Alexander.
“Without making any prejudice as to the decisions which will be taken at the peace conference regarding the attribution of ‘Venezia Giulia’ and Trieste, the Government of Democratic Federative Yugoslavia cannot renounce their rights of the Yugoslav Army’s holding the territory up to the Isonzo River including the towns of Trieste, Gorizia and Monfalcone. The Yugoslav military authorities have been strictly instructed to keep order and peace in these areas in a strict and just way. There is no need to doubt it, since it is well known that our troops are highly disciplined.
“It would be unjust to deny Yugoslav Army the rights of military occupation of ‘Venezia Giulia’, since it is the area mostly inhabited by Slav population and which was allotted to Italy by the previous peace settlement. On the contrary, this is a reason more for our troops to remain there and to protect the population.
“On the territory occupied by the Yugoslav Army all persons inclined to create disorders and regrettable incidents will be unable to do so, although one has to note with regret that in the conquered Italy there are such persons fully finding their ways in hindering to calm the spirits abroad as regard Trieste and ‘Venezia Giulia’.
“We deeply believe that the Allied Governments of the United States and of Great Britain will fully understand the rights of Yugoslavia, [Page 1167] are exposed in this letter, and that an understanding will be easily reached on the basis of the proposals handed to Field Marshal Alexander.”