With further reference to your minute (403/69/83) of 24th August, 1950,1 regarding Mr. and Mrs. Alois Anich, I have to report as follows:-
On Saturday, the 12th instant, Mr. Reynolds, a Washington attorney telephoned this office and referred to the correspondence of last summer regarding this couple. He said that some 'Left wing or communist groups' were causing trouble for Mr. Anich alleging that he was a war criminal and was the 'Himmler of Yugoslavia'. Mr. Reynolds went on to explain that Anich's real name was Andrija Artukovic but that he had obtained from the Swiss Government certificates of identity in the name of Anich. He continued that the Swiss knew his real name but permitted him to use the new name 'to enable him to avoid assassination'. Mr. Reynolds then said that Mr. Anich was in difficulty with the Immigration Authorities who, he said, considered his entry into this country as irregular as he used a false name. Anich, however, maintains that he had 'acquired his new name in Switzerland'. Mr. Reynolds then requested that we cable Dublin asking for the original Swiss Certificate of Identity or Photostat or certified copies thereof 'to present to the United States Government in an effort to regularise Mr. Anich's immigration status'. As far as Mr. Reynolds knew the Swiss certificates were issued in the summer of 1947 and were surrendered in Dublin when the Irish certificates of identity were issued. Mr. Reynolds explained that the question of Mr. Anich's deportation, possibly to Yugoslavia, might soon arise.
There is enclosed a copy of a letter from Mr. Reynolds regarding this case. It will be observed that this letter is dated May 12 but it was not received in the Embassy until May 16, the envelope being postmarked 4 p.m., May 15.
It was realised some hours later that a reference to Artukovic had appeared in one of the newspapers recently.
[matter omitted: two excerpts from columns by Drew Pearson in The Washington Post - 10 May and 13 May]
In considering all the circumstances of the case it was considered advisable to discuss the question of Anich informally with the State Department and, accordingly, we saw Mr. Ranney (Irish Desk) and Mr. Gannett (Yugoslav Desk).2 Mr. Gannett explained that they had not very much information on this man and that many of the reports were conflicting. Apparently Artukovic became associated with Ante Pavelic3 and the Croatian National Movement in the late twenties. Artukovic appears to have been in England when King Alexander and M. Barthou were assassinated in Marseilles in 1934. Following this the French Government had Artukovic extradited from Britain and handed him over to Yugoslavia where he spent some time in prison. Sometime later he fled the country but whether he escaped or was 'released and pushed over the frontier' is not known. He was known to be active in the Croat National Movement and resided in several countries up to the outbreak of the war. The United States authorities have a record that someone applied for a United States visa in his name in 1938 in Germany and that in 1939 he himself also applied for a visa. However, owing to the disturbed conditions consequent on the outbreak of war, neither of these applications seems to have been followed up.
At the time of the German invasion of Yugoslavia in April, 1941, Artukovic was in Hungary. He arrived in Croatia a few days later and in the Cabinet of Ante Pavelic was Minister for the Interior, a post which he held until 1943, though he was for some months Minister for Justice and Religion. In 1943 it is understood that he was 'demoted' and after that he seems to have held only some minor post. Mr. Gannett continued that Artukovic escaped to Austria in 1945 and from there entered to Switzerland and eventually Ireland. He entered the United States on July 16, 1948, on a Temporary Visitor's Visa. Apparently he had hoped to be given immigrant status under the Displaced Persons Act but he did not in fact qualify thereunder. A special bill was introduced in the 81st Congress to permit him to remain in the United States but this bill died in committee. However, the Displaced Persons Act was subsequently amended and it is thought that as it stands it would cover his case. Immigration hearings are at present being held in Los Angeles (where Artukovic resides with his brother) in connection with his application for permanent immigrant status but now the question of his entry into the United States is also being considered. It was gathered from Mr. Gannett's remarks that the Immigration authorities do not desire him to remain in the United States but have so far refrained from issuing a deportation order.
Continuing Mr. Gannett said that the Embassy of Yugoslavia had learned of Artukovic's presence in the United States and had requested his extradition as a 'war criminal' (under the Moscow Declaration regarding War Criminals and not under the Extradition Treaty of 1901 between the United States and Serbia). State has the Yugoslav request under consideration but has not yet come to a decision.
Artukovic has a wife and four children, his wife being an Austrian, while of his children two were born in Yugoslavia, one in Ireland and one in the United States.
It is evident that this case is receiving the most serious consideration from the United States authorities. Mr. Gannett did not say specifically whether his Department considered that Artukovic was in fact guilty of perpetrating atrocities but mentioned that during the war atrocities had been committed by all parties in Yugoslavia. He said that some of Artukovic's Cabinet colleagues who had been sent back to Yugoslavia were tried by the present Government, found guilty and executed.
It may also be mentioned for your information that State is now apparently satisfied that Ante Pavelic is in the Argentine.
As the Department is already aware, Drew Pearson's column is occasionally used by the Administration as a sounding board and that columnist's reference to Artukovic may have been 'inspired'. Already, presumably as a result of Pearson's comments, Congressmen have been receiving letters from Veterans' Organisations and the like protesting against Artukovic's presence in the United States.
