765.00/9–553: Telegram
No. 101
The Secretary
of State to the Embassy in
Italy1
priority
838. Personal for the Ambassador from Secretary. Was glad to talk with you on phone and have since discussed our conversation with President on phone.2 Please feel free always to send frankly your views. You can be sure we here do not minimize importance and danger in situation. Have just finished talk with Italian Chargé.3 He asked for interpretation of my press remark which he said in his opinion correctly stated the situation as it was and had been for some time but that Italian and Yugoslav press had been attempting to read into it some new decision. I reassured him that the position stated was the same position that had existed since I became Secretary and, I believed, for some time prior to that, that [Page 260] it was well known that while we had in no way altered the official position of 1948 we were and for many months had been open minded to alternatives. The Chargé said his Government well understood that and they themselves were open minded to alternatives. He was glad to be able to reassure his Government that my statement did not imply any new or recent decision.
For your information only, Yugoslav Ambassador called Thursday following press conference to complain that I had stated that we had no official position other than that of 1948.4
The Chargé also, with obvious reference to military talks with Yugoslavs, said he regretted these went on, and military and economic aid were rendered without regard to unsettled state of Trieste. I stated that his observation deserved and would receive consideration.