765.75/508: Telegram
The Minister in Albania (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:32 p.m.]
47. At a meeting this morning the British, the French, the Greek, the Turkish and American Ministers agreed that on the basis of their observations and knowledge of recent events in Albania, Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, in his speech Saturday afternoon47 before the Italian Chamber of Fasci and Corporations was guilty of obvious misstatement of the facts on several points, including the allegation that the Albanians had proposed a new treaty of alliance with Italy, that King Zog had requested the Italians to land troops in Albania, that there was never an ultimatum by the Italians, that there were manifestations which threatened the life and property of Italians in Albania, and that King Zog adopted a course of provocation against the Italians after receiving assurances of help from the democracies. In connection with the last point it was pointed out that King Zog had been actually threatened with, and landing of, Italian troops in the event he consulted any of the Foreign Ministers in Tirana while the negotiations were going on.
None of the Ministers mentioned above have received any instructions from their Governments in regard to the matter of recognition of the new regime in Albania, although the British Minister stated he has been instructed not to commit himself in the event he should be approached by members of the Government and he was also instructed [Page 404] to have work stopped on the new British Legation which is now under construction in Tirana by an Italian contractor.
According to a reliable report Italian engineers are now sending out waves at the Tirana radio station to interfere with the Paris Mondial station which broadcasts in several languages including Italian. The Italian journalist and representative of the United Press in Albania, Lo Russo-Attoma, has been appointed Press Councilor to control all activities of the Albanian press.
The city of Tirana last evening was the scene of a celebration with fireworks staged by the Italians commemorating the union of Italy and Albania which was consummated in Rome Sunday morning when Victor Emmanuel, Mussolini and Count Ciano received the Albanian delegation which offered the Crown of Scanderbeg to the King. Similar celebrations are said to have been staged in other cities of Albania. Reliable comments in Tirana indicate that the delegation with two or three exceptions is not representative of the most influential classes in Albania.
- April 15.↩