Office of the Historian

662.6824/3–1650: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Yugoslavia

secret
Washington, March 24, 1950—1 p. m.

234. From study of growing warmth of controversy involving Ger POWs in Yugo it appears subj on both sides is exceeding bounds which nature of difficulty wld warrant. Yugos have been unaccountably dilatory in proceeding with trials remaining accused war criminals and Gers also appear to be trying to slough responsibility for such crimes. As consequence increasingly embarrassing issue created for both govts and incidentally for Three Allied Powers. At same time it appears hardly feasible externally to prescribe type of justice Yugos shld impose upon accused war criminals since Moscow Declaration of Nov 1, 1943 by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin in name of all UN provided war criminals wld be returned to countries where crimes committed and “be judged and punished according to laws of theses liberated countries and of free govts which will be created therein”.1

In view growing consequences of issue, apparent on Yugo side from Amb Allen-Tito interview (Embtel 353, Mar 16 rptd Frankfort 45, London 50 and Paris 622), and in view recent Aide-Mémoire on subj from Fr Emb, Wash, Dept is addressing aides-mémoire to UK and Fr Embs asking concurrence their govts to fol procedure. Three Embs Belgrade, at appropriate time near future but not simultaneously, wld raise matter orally with FonOff during gen discussion. Subj wld not be linked directly with Yugo-Ger econ matters and postal relations, nor wld Yugo type justice be questioned.3 All three Embs wld refer to previous conversation with Yugo FonOff on Subj (re Belgrade’s [Page 1396] 1208, Nov 19, 1949, rptd London 102 and Paris 1544) and inquire re status affair giving Yugos impression Western interest is entirely in speedy settlement of issue as beneficial to both parties since if unsolved it increasingly cld taint atmosphere Yugo-Ger relations to their mutual detriment.5

Sent Belgrade, rptd Frankfort 1969, London 1325, and Paris 1285.

Acheson
  1. The quotation is from the Declaration on German Atrocities, adopted by the Moscow Tripartite Conference of Foreign Ministers, October 18–November 1, 1943, and issued on November 1, 1943, in the names of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Prime Minister Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin. For the text, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, p. 768.↩
  2. Not printed, but see footnote 1, p. 1388.↩
  3. Telegram 2111, March 29, to Frankfort, repeated as 248 to Belgrade, not printed, reaffirmed the Department’s belief that the subject of German prisoners of war in Yugoslavia should not be linked with the Yugoslav-German Federal trade agreement and recommended that the Allied High Commission for Germany press the Federal Government to conclude the agreement (462.6831/3–2450). Telegram 136, April 6, from Bonn, not printed, reported that at the April 5, meeting between the Allied High Commission for Germany and Federal Chancellor Adenauer, the American, British, and French Representatives had promised Allied help to expedite the release of German prisoners of war from Yugoslavia and had urged Adenauer to approve conclusion of the Yugoslav-Federal trade agreement (762A.34/4–650). The trade agreement was eventually signed on April 18.↩
  4. Not printed.↩
  5. Telegram 420, June 1, to Belgrade, not printed, reported that France had expressed full agreement with the tripartite approach to the Yugoslav Government outlined in this telegram. The Embassy in Yugoslavia was authorized to determine means suitable for proceeding with the matter (662.6824/6–150).↩