Telegram from President Harry S. Truman to Prime Minister Winston Churchill

NLT-276 HicER S. DECLASSIFIED by authority of e is RECURDE AND sept. attent F.R. 195 TOP SECRET Kol. IV P.1132 30 APRIL 1945 PRIORITY laitials HK Datef7773 3820 FROM: OPNAV TO : ALUSNA, LONDON 302217Z NCR NUMBER 18, PERSONAL AND TOP SECRET, FROM THE PRESIDENT FOR THE PRIME MINISTER. Your Number 22, April 30. It seems to me that Field Marshal Alexander has all the guidance he needs in FAN No. 536 from the Combined Chiefs of Staff. I agree that in the operational phase when he is endeavoring to establish his lines of comaunication to Austria and to establish his control over Trieste and Pola, there 1s no need for obtaining prior Russian consent. I note from NAF 932 that before his task force enters Venezia Guilia Alexander will inform Marshal Tito of his intentions and explain to Tito that if any of his forces remain in that area they must necessarily come under Alexander's command. FAN 536 directs Alexander to communicate with the Combined Chiefs of Staff before taking further action in the area in question if the Yugoslav forces there fail to cooperate. I think this is important for I wish to avoid having American forces used to fight Yugoslav forces or being used in combat in the Balkan political arena. TRUMAN Released from the White House Map Room at 302217Z April 1945: F.H. Shahara F. a. GRAHAM, Captain, AGD. TOP SECURE - 1 -