May 19, 1945

New York Times.

The Yugoslav Army as one of the Allied armies has equal rights with other Allied armies allowing her to remain in the territory she has liberated in the bitter struggle against the common enemy. The Yugoslav Army, in fierce battles whose object was to cut off considerable units of enemy forces and liberate enslaved peoples, has suffered heavy losses and has shown many examples of unprecedented heroism.

The fact that the population of these regions has for two years taken part in the war of liberation, that its overwhelming majority is Yugoslav and that it has borne enormous sacrifices in the struggle against Italian and German fascism cannot be an obstacle to our demand to entrust our army with the organization of military administration and to entrust the Peoples Committee of Liberation, chosen from the people, with the organization of civil administration.

The needs of our Allies concerning ports and lines of communication have been completely safeguarded in the spirit of the talks between Marshal Tito and Field Marshal [Sir Harold R. L. G.] Alexander [Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean] during the visit by Field Marshal Alexander to Belgrade this winter. The honor of our army and the honor of our country demand the presence of the Yugoslav Army in Istria, Trieste and the Slovene coastline.

The decisions of the peace conference, which will be the final decisions as regards the apportioning of the region concerned, are in no way prejudiced. With regard to this the federation of Yugoslavia is opposed to all unilateral declarations.