Letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, June 19, 1948

Source: Tom 18

From the CC of the VKP(b) to the CC of the CPY

June 19, 1948

In reply to the CC VKP(b)'s letter, the CC CPY in its resolution of April 13 stated that Comrades Zujovic and Hebrang had been expelled from the CC CPY and subjected to a party investigation for providing Soviet organs with false and slanderous information about conditions in Yugoslavia, aimed at worsening relations between Yugoslavia and the USSR.

Sometime later, Comrades Zujovic and Hebrang were arrested and subsequently declared enemies of the working class.

From this the CC of the VKP(b) concluded that the Yugoslav authorities intended to sentence Zujovic and Hebrang to death as enemies of the working class. In this connection the CC of the VKP(b) sent a statement on June 9 to the CC CPY in which it insisted on the participation of its representatives in the investigation into the incorrect information provided to Soviet organs by Zujovic and Hebrang. At the same time, the CC VKP(b) stated that in the event of a rejection of the CC VKP(b)'s proposal for participation of its representatives in the investigation and liquidation of Zujovic and Hebrang, the CC VKP(b) would consider the members of the Politburo of the CC CPY to be criminal murderers.

In response, Comrade Kardelj, after consulting with Comrade Tito, stated the following on June 10 in Ljubljana:

"We are surprised by such an inquiry from the CC VKP(b). We ask you to inform them that the Politburo of the CC CPY does not intend to physically liquidate Hebrang and Zujovic, and that no investigation is being conducted into the matter of Hebrang and Zujovic providing information to Soviet representatives."

This was the second reply from the CC CPY on the question of the fate of Comrades Zujovic and Hebrang, and it was in complete contradiction with the first reply given by the CC CPY on April 13.

On June 17, a new reply was received from the CC CPY — the third on this matter — stating that Hebrang and Zujovic are under investigation by state authorities, expressing indignation at the CC VKP(b)'s inquiry, and rejecting the proposal for participation of CC VKP(b) representatives in the investigation into the case of Zujovic and Hebrang.

It is clear that this reply cannot be considered an honest answer, but should rather be recognized as an evasion of an answer.

It is also clear that this reply is in complete contradiction with the two previous replies.

There is no doubt that the Yugoslav leaders have become entangled in the question of the case of Zujovic and Hebrang and at different times advance different explanations, depending on the political needs of the moment, merely to conceal from view the true state of affairs in this hastily fabricated case of Zujovic and Hebrang.

Only this circumstance can explain why the CC CPY rejects the proposal for participation of CC VKP(b) representatives in the investigation into the case of Zujovic and Hebrang.

From this reply it follows further that, since the case of Hebrang and Zujovic has been transferred to state authorities, the entire responsibility for the fate of Zujovic and Hebrang is henceforth borne by the chief representative of state authority in Yugoslavia — Premier Tito.