Office of the Historian

110.11 DU/8–2654: Telegram

No. 247
The Ambassador in Yugoslavia (Riddleberger) to the Department of State1
top secret
Belgrade, August 26, 1954—4 p.m.

152. Eyes only for Secretary. It seems to me that plan for your visit outlined Deptel 1812 sufficiently minimizes risks which might arise from Italian resentment of visit to Belgrade without certainty that Rome would be included in your itinerary. While possibility of leak is always present, believe Yugoslav Government advantage would rest in keeping visit secret until formally confirmed.

I agree that if there is a leak in either Italy or Yugoslavia it would be desirable to confirm immediately and publicly that an informal approach has been made in Belgrade and Rome.

It also seems to me that following the conclusion of the Balkan Alliance a visit by you to both Belgrade and Rome subsequent to the NAC meeting in December could be presented as an entirely normal trip in view of the formal Yugoslav relationship to two NATO countries.

Riddleberger
  1. Repeated for information to London eyes only for Thompson and to Rome eyes only for Luce.↩
  2. Document 244.↩