Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XVI, Eastern Europe; Cyprus; Greece; Turkey

123. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Yugoslavia⁰

Washington, May 2, 1962, 3:04 p.m.

1106. Embtels 1455, 1456, 1458.¹ We have given careful consideration your reftels and, on balance, have concluded US interests best served by approach aimed at forcing Yugoslavs either: (a) to drop their thinly-veiled insinuations and allegations re official US involvement in events leading up to Djilas rearrest;² or (b) to produce specific and concrete evidence to back up these charges. We agree with you, particularly since trial of Djilas obviously in offing, that it is impermissible that such unsubstantiated charges made in official Foreign Office discussions should be allowed to stand unanswered by US Government. We believe however that, in view imminence Djilas trial and large number imponderables inherent this situation, it is preferable for US approach to be oral rather than written and to Mates who first raised question rather than to Popovic. Accordingly, at your discretion, you are authorized to approach Mates along following lines:

Since your April 16 conversation with Mates and your subsequent letter to him denying any incorrect behavior on part members US Embassy staff in Djilas affair, you had hoped matter would be dropped by Yugoslav authorities. Instead, Yugoslav authorities have chosen to raise matter again in official FonOff conversation with member Embassy staff, even going so far as to suggest that only public denial US involvement Djilas affair by authoritative US source would be convincing. US Government has no choice but to take serious view of unsubstantiated Yugoslav charges re US involvement in events leading up to rearrest of Djilas as well as Yugoslav insinuations re alleged US motives. US Government has no knowledge of circumstances leading up to rearrest Djilas beyond public statements issued by Yugoslav authorities. US Government cannot permit allegations to stand that conduct US officials in any sense has been such as to give cause for reproach or complaint on part Yugoslav authorities. We must therefore request that Yugoslav Government, if it has any information of a specific and concrete nature that would indicate to contrary, present such information to US Government. If Yugoslav Government has no such specific information we suggest that matter be dropped.

Ball

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 768.00/5–262. Confidential; Niact. Drafted by Mudd; cleared by Tyler, EUR, and S/S; and approved by McGhee.
1. In telegram 1455, April 30, Kennan reported that he had denied Mates’ charge of frequent visits to Djilas by “a member of the official American community.” The telegram forwarded the draft text of a proposed letter to the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry stating that no unsanctioned visits had taken place. (Ibid., 768.00/4–3062) Telegram 1456, April 30, reported that Yugoslav officials believed the Embassy had provoked the actions leading to the Djilas arrest. Kennan reported that the Embassy had not been involved. (Ibid.) In telegram 1458, May 2, Kennan reported that the acting director of American Reading Rooms in Yugoslavia, a non-government official, had met with Djilas. (Ibid., 768.00/5–262)
2. Djilas, who had been released from prison in 1961, was rearrested following the publication of his book Conversations with Stalin. He was charged with revealing State secrets.