320/10–851
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Special Assistant on United Nations Affairs in the Bureau of European Affairs (Allen)
Subject: Possible Yugoslav Case
| Participants: | Dr. Bruner, Yugoslav Embassy |
| Mr. Ward P. Allen—EUR |
Dr. Bruner called at his request to state that the Yugoslav Government has definitely decided to submit a separate agenda item on its case against the USSR, and to give us their views on the suggestions we had previously made to them on this matter. The item is to be titled “Threats and Hostile Acts of the Government of the USSR and Eastern European Countries Against the Independence and Sovereignty of the FPRY”. The documentation and evidence presented will be along the line of the Yugoslav White Book, to which will be added all the information accumulated since its publication in order to bring the case up to date. The Yugoslav Government has accepted our guidance1 and assures that for their part they will do their utmost to keep discussion as dispassionate, sober, unprovocative, and objective as possible. They intend to seek by all possible means to force the USSR to give concrete answers to concrete questions, and to respond specifically to specific evidence against them.
The Yugoslav Government desires that the GA pass a resolution along the following lines: “The GA, having heard the discussion on the relationships of the USSR and other Eastern European countries, through the FPRY, expresses its serious concern regarding the existing situation and its possible continuation, and accordingly invites the countries concerned to take concrete measures which would make possible the improvement of their relations by removing the causes of the present situation.” These measures should include: [Page 1850]
- 1)
- The creation of mixed commissions for the examination of frontier incidents;
- 2)
- The discontinuance of aggressive, war-inciting propaganda (this is not intended to exclude the continuation of legitimate criticism of different regimes);
- 3)
- The observance of the provisions of the Peace Treaty (i.e., limitation of Hungarian and Bulgarian armaments);
- 4)
- Full respect for all international obligations. The GA invites the countries concerned to regulate and maintain their international relations in the spirit of international cooperation in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Regarding the POC, Dr. Bruner reported that the Yugoslav stand had not changed. They are willing to accept the POC provided the satellite countries will do so. They do not desire to accept it unilaterally and promote it in Yugoslavia unless it goes behind the iron curtain. They are prepared to make this statement in the GA and point out that unless it is received on both sides of the frontier it cannot fulfill its purposes. They are more favorably disposed, although they have not reached a final decision, to our alternative suggestion of a special committee to examine the evidence submitted or a subcommittee of the Political Committee to report back to this session. They will let us know their attitude shortly.
As to the time of submission of the item, there was in any event no time to submit it before the October 6 deadline. However, they are inclined to think that it might be better to wait until very shortly before the GA convenes. They fear that if the USSR knows about it in detail too far in advance this will give the USSR an opportunity to put diplomatic pressure of one sort or another on such delegations as the Indians and others who might be reluctant in order to seek to prevent strong GA action. They might for example threaten to leave the UN or pretend to be highly provoked if the matter is taken up and action is taken by the GA.
Dr. Bruner asked for our reactions to the foregoing, which I promised shortly. I did not seek to discuss them in detail with him except to express our keen disappointment that they had not seen fit to accept the POC even tho the satellites did not. (I think it would be useful for the reason that this step is desirable from the Yugoslav point of view to have it pointed out again and in some detail to the Yugoslavs). Dr. Bruner asked whether his information was correct that the US intended to submit a separate case on violation of human rights in the Soviet orbit. I stated that we were considering such a case and had consulted with the UK, French, and Canadians on it; that they were not inclined to take a favorable view. We are still, however, considering the advisability of such a move. In any event, we appreciate the relationship between that possible case and the Yugoslav case, and even if we should [Page 1851] decide not to go ahead we would make full use of the, material in the course of the discussion on the Yugoslav case. Dr. Bruner asked to be advised if we decide to go ahead with a separate case.
Dr. Bruner took occasion to ask what initiative if any the US was planning to take in the general field of economic development. He pointed out the tremendous political effect on the smaller countries of US initiative in this field which forestalls the impression that the US is so heavily concentrating on rearmament that it is no longer interested in the economic development of undeveloped countries. I stated that we were conscious of this fact and were working very carefully on the economic aspects of the GA agenda and would be happy to discuss these problems with them at a later date.
- In response to Ambassador Popović’s request for Department of State opinion concerning a possible Yugoslav resolution in the General Assembly (memorandum of conversation, supra), officials of the Offices of Eastern European Affairs and the Legal Adviser prepared an informal memorandum making suggestions as to specific Assembly action which would prevent the Yugoslavs from making technical errors and thereby not receiving broad assent. This memorandum was given to Ambassador Popović by Assistant Secretary Hickerson during their conversation on October 1; a record of this meeting, including a copy of the informal memorandum, is in file 320/10–151.↩