760H.68/9–3047
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
Problem: To determine what position the Department should take with respect to the invitation issued on September 27 by the Yugoslav Ambassador to former Secretary Byrnes and five other prominent American citizens to visit Yugoslavia to investigate the difficulties between Greece and Yugoslavia.
Facts and Discussion: The invitation asserts that there is a misunderstanding in the United States regarding Yugoslav policy towards [Page 354] Greece and asks that the six persons in question come to Yugoslavia as guests of the Yugoslav Government. Those invited are: Mr. Byrnes, Mr. Harold Stassen, Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, Mr. Hanson W. Baldwin, Mr. Henry Morgenthau, Jr., and Mr. John Gunther. Dr. Fosdick has stated that he would be unable to make the trip, and Mr. Byrnes has declined on the ground that the question is not one to be determined by a group of private citizens. Mr. Byrnes is quoted as saying that his participation might prejudice action by the United Nations. Mr. Stassen has announced that he would consult the Secretary and Senator Vandenberg before replying to the invitation. The other persons invited have as yet made no public statement.
It is apparent that the invitation is intended as a propaganda maneuver designed to demonstrate that the assertions of the United Nations Commission and the United States Government regarding Yugoslav aid to Greek guerrillas are without factual basis. If the group in question, or any of its members, should accept, they would unquestionably be taken on a carefully conducted tour arranged in such a way that there would be virtually no opportunity for them to observe improper Yugoslav activities. On their return, whatever their suspicions, they would probably be forced to admit that they had found no direct evidence supporting the charges against Yugoslavia. On the other hand, if they all decline, the Yugoslav Government will undoubtedly assert that this is proof of prejudice existing in the U.S. and will claim that its gesture demonstrated its own desire for full investigation of the true facts.
Conclusions: No useful purpose would be served by a visit to Yugoslavia of a small private group traveling under the direct auspices of the Yugoslav Government. However, the Department should not openly oppose such a visit, since an obstructive position would lay us open to the charge that we are afraid to have the real facts made known. It would further be undesirable for all six to refuse the invitation simply on the ground that they were otherwise occupied.
Recommendations: It is recommended that if any of the six members consult the Secretary or the Department regarding the attitude they should take, they should be told that the Department doubts that any advantage would be gained by the proposed tour and that, as Mr. Byrnes has already stated, we felt the matter is not one for investigation or determination by a group of private citizens, or even officials, of any one country. In our view the problem of Greek-Yugoslav relations is one of international concern and should be dealt with only on an international, multilateral basis. We consider that this is especially true in view of the fact that this problem has already been thoroughly investigated by an agency of the United Nations and that it is now being actively considered in the General [Page 355] Assembly of the United Nations. While the U.S. Government would not wish to prevent any responsible individual from making such investigations as he might be able to do, we would regret any action which would seem to imply that the matter was not being adequately handled by the United Nations or that the United States, more than any other member of the UN, had a special concern or interest in the problem.1
- Approved by Mr. Lovett in a marginal notation.↩