875.6363/187: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Albania (Kodding)
15. (1) The situation outlined in your 29, March 10, and 30, March 11, is very unsatisfactory and the Department wishes you to inform the Albanian Government to that effect candidly. As far as the Department can estimate the situation on the basis of facts in its possession, it would appear that the Albanian Government, by inducements which are still unfulfilled, has led American companies to expend considerable time and effort in Albania, and that the Government has reaped considerable benefit from the geological and other work carried on by these companies. Besides, it would appear that Albania has been able to profit largely from the terms, advantageous to Albania, which have been proposed by these companies and which have compelled foreign competitors to propose more reasonable terms than they would have been inclined to make otherwise. Even the Anglo-Persian concession does not seem to be as favorable to the Albanian Government in certain respects as those which the American companies have proposed.
(2) Additionally, the situation regarding the punishment of those guilty of the murder of Coleman and De Long has worked out most unsatisfactorily and the Department is of the opinion that its patient attitude in this matter possibly has been misunderstood. In fact the Department is unable to reconcile the present attitude of the Albanian Government with its alleged desire for closer relations with the United States and its repeated expressions of friendship. One of the heirs has put before the Department a request for support for a claim for indemnity. The matter is now being considered.
(3) You are at liberty to inform the Albanian Government of the preceding and to add that unless there is an improvement in the situation and you are able to inform the American Government to that effect, you would be inclined to make the recommendation that the sending of an American Minister to Tirana be withheld.
(4) In the same connection you may also refer to the attitude of the Department in the matter of receiving an Albanian consul in New York.24
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[Page 503]Endeavor to obtain the text of the Italian agreement with Albania and especially inform Department concerning the period within which the second choice of areas for exploitation by Italian interests is to be made.
- Agreement to the appointment of Dr. Terenc Toçi as Albanian consul general at New York had been temporarily withheld.↩