811.2360H/11–1646: Telegram
The Chargé in Yugoslavia (Hickok) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:14 p.m.]
1157. Deptel 708, October 17. After we tried nearly 3 weeks see Vlahov, Foreign Office finally told us they, not he, were competent discuss charges “unfriendly work” of American representatives Belgrade. Vlahov merely acted as intermediary between Tito and Embassy to get report to us promptly. So we informally told Foreign Office gist of Deptel and received following answers today orally:
To questions (a) “No.”
(b) “It does.”
(c) “To produce to American Embassy and Department evidence of inimical activities of certain members of Embassy staff so that American authorities could take efficacious steps to prevent such activities which has been one of reasons of difficult relations between American Embassy Belgrade and Yugoslav Government.”
To our question what Tito meant when said depending on our action he might make trial public Foreign Office replied, “Expected reaction is that State Department will withdraw all members of Embassy staff involved these questions. Persons having diplomatic immunity can, of course, not be put on trial but Yugoslav Government in accordance international diplomatic customs requests that these persons be immediately withdrawn. Reason why Yugoslav Government would be glad to avoid public trial is that evidence against official American diplomatic representatives and charges are such that they would raise high dissatisfaction against American Government in Yugoslav public opinion. This would make more difficult endeavors of Yugoslavia make relations between two countries easier.” (Foreign Office spokesman, Bruner, drew comparison recent public trials Canada accusing certain Soviet representatives. He thought result was deep injury Soviet-Canadian relations and Yugoslav anxious avoid such affair.)
To our statement that Department found allegations so far as they concern members American Embassy seemingly “vague, tendentious and unsupported” and Yugoslav authorities perhaps also think so, to [Page 976] which we added we were puzzled by charges and personally felt full confidence in our staff from Shantz on down, Foreign Office replied:
“Yugoslav Government is surprised at statement that American Government is puzzled at charges alleged ‘weak, unsupported, tendentious’. Yugoslav Government considers that for instance supplying of illegal subversive terrorists in Yugoslavia with weapons and wireless communication as well as organizing communications between terrorists in Yugoslavia and abroad for purpose of overthrowing by force legal and recognized government and killing prominent representatives of government should be quite sufficient for serious charges against diplomatic representatives of friendly country. Yugoslav Government has obtained further evidence from investigation still in course which makes charges even more heavy. From the investigation the facts to which they refer must be well known to Embassy and so Yugoslav Government is confident that State Department will in interests of good relations between two countries take any action which it might deem necessary.”
By this last sentence Bruner indicated others on Embassy staff not yet named in charges might be implicated. He said further details might still be given by Yugoslav Government but preliminary report was to allow American Government to make own investigation and take action which it was hoped would make unnecessary any further action by Yugoslav Government.
We said we still thought charges unwarranted against most if not all our staff. If in some cases inexperienced personnel had gone beyond their competency we were sure it was not with intention of overthrowing Yugoslav Government or assassinating leaders. We mentioned much factual material like mining statistics and treaty texts ordinarily provided matter of courtesy by foreign government to friendly Embassies unobtainable from official channels here.
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Today’s Politika16 publishes story alleging members American Mission Albania aided terrorists that country. Translation forwarded in airgram 252 of November 15.17