Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

611.68/3–1650: Telegram

The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Allen) to the Secretary of State

secret

Belgrade, March 16, 1950—9 p. m.

351. During conversation today,¹ Tito referred to various rumors of forthcoming deal between US and USSR dividing world into spheres of influence, and requested my comment.

I said I hoped Marshal would believe me when I declared, in most emphatic terms, that US was incapable of making secret deal with one power at expense of people of third country without any opportunity for such people or their representatives to be heard. I said spheres of influence was policy of imperialism and that whenever US became imperialistic he could begin to look for deals between the US and other countries of kind to which he referred. I referred to certain personal experiences I had had in this matter, particularly in Iran,² where US had thrown every ounce of its influence and energy into preserving integrity of Iran and in opposition to any possible spheres of influence deals. I reminded him that history of our policy in the Balkans had been equally opposed to spheres of influence and I saw no reasons for apprehension on his part that we might enter into arrangement with Soviet Union or anyone else behind his back.

I said rumors of kind to which he referred frequently arose and that they did not always concern US. (I had in mind rumors of possible rapprochement between Tito and USSR but am not certain he got my implication. He may have thought I referred to possible deal between UK and USSR.)

I said I thought rumors might have resulted from Churchill’s call for meeting with Stalin³ and from recent proposals by Senators McMahon and Tydings.⁴ I expressed confidence nothing would come of these proposals and repeated assurance we would not make secret deal at Yugoslavia’s expense no matter what meeting might take place.

Tito did not give me the impression of being unduly alarmed at rumors but Embassy is aware from other Yugoslav officials that subject is in their minds at present.

Sent Department 351, repeated London 48, Paris 60, Moscow 38; Department pass Moscow.

Allen

1. Regarding other portions of the conversation under reference, see telegrams 349, 350, and 352, p. 1388, supra, and infra, respectively.
2. Allen served as Ambassador in Iran from April 1946 to February 1948.
3. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s proposal was made in a speech at Edinburgh, February 14, 1950.
4. Proposals regarding world disarmament and international control of atomic energy were made by Senator Brien McMahon of Connecticut in Senate speeches of February 2 and March 1, 1950, and by Senator Millard Ty dings of Maryland in a proposed Senate resolution of March 6, 1950.