Paris Peace Conf. 875.00/32
The Embassy in France to
the Commission to Negotiate Peace
The American Embassy in Paris presents its compliments to the American
Commission to Negotiate Peace, and has the honor to transmit herewith
copy and translation of a note of December 30th 1918 from the Italian
Embassy concerning the present situation in Albania.
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Italian Embassy in
France to the American
Embassy
A meeting of prominent Albanians of all the provinces was recently
held at Durazzo to express their national aspirations, and after a
long discussion, voted the constitution of a provisional Government
under the leadership of Tourkhan Pacha.
General Piacentini has received instructions from the Italian
Government to notify this assembly for its own information that the
Government of the King advised them that the definite settlement of
the political situation of Albania would be determined by the
decisions of the Peace Congress, and that, consequently, there was
no reason to take action prior to those decisions. This being
established, the Italian Government reserves for itself the right to
examine ulteriorly the respective positions between the Italian
Military authorities and this new organisation, as well as its legal
position and the arrangement of its composition and of its
functions. The Italian Government has not in principle any objection
to recognise from now on the right of this organisation to call
itself the interpreter of Albanian national aspirations.
The Italian Royal Embassy at Paris is instructed, and has the honor
to inform the Embassy of the United States of the preceding, and
asks it to inform the Federal Government.
Paris, December 30,
1918.
