Office of the Historian

840.50 UNRRA/8–1545: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

London, August 15, 1945—7 p.m.
[Received August 15—4:30 p.m.]

8283. 1. Yugoslav delegation presented following resolution for consideration by the UNRRA Council which I assume would be covered if our over-all resolution on Italy were adopted:

“Whereas special conditions exist in liberated territories which are defined by the agreement between the Yugoslav Govt and the representatives [Page 1014] of the Allied Forces Headquarters Mediterranean Theatre of Operations in Devin70 June 16, 1945,71 and

Whereas they were liberated by the active participation of their population in the armed struggle against Fascism since 1941 and it being desirable that the administration should operate in these territories, and

Whereas the Allied military authorities recognize the character of these areas; it is therefore

Resolved: That territories which have been defined by the agreement between the Yugoslav Govt and the Allied Forces Headquarters Mediterranean Theatre of Operations of June 16, 1945 be considered as liberated territories within the meaning of Part I, Resolution 172 and the Administration is hereby authorized to operate in such areas in agreement with the authorities which administer these areas upon the terms and conditions as in other liberated areas.”

2. Proposal has obvious political implications. We will make every effort to delay action until your comments and instructions are received. Please reply urgently by tomorrow night if possible, because matter is scheduled for committee discussion presumably final on Friday morning.73

Sent to Dept as 8283, repeated to Rome for Kirk from Clayton as 81.

Winant
  1. This town was called Devin by the Yugoslavs and Duino by the Italians.↩
  2. For documentation regarding U.S. concern over the control of Venezia Giulia, see vol. iv, pp. 1103 ff.; for specific information on this agreement, see telegram 2643, June 16, 8 p.m., from Caserta, ibid., p. 1186.↩
  3. For text, see Woodbridge, UNRRA, vol. iii, p. 42.↩
  4. August 17.↩