765.75/518: Telegram
The Minister in Albania (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 23—10:55 a.m.]
52. I received this morning from the new Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, as previously reported, a formal note addressed to me in which it is stated that the Foreign Minister would be glad to establish with me the most cordial personal and official relations and expressing the hope that I would be willing to assure him of my cooperation in the same measure which I have given to his predecessor. In the meantime, before receiving the note, I made arrangements last night to make an informal call on the new Foreign Minister with whom I was already personally acquainted. I had a conversation of more than one hour with Dino who received me most cordially and he stated in a strictly confidential manner his views of the present Albanian situation. I made it quite clear that my call was entirely unofficial.
In substance Dino said that when he and his colleagues were in Rome last week they pointed out to Mussolini the great desire of the Albanians to retain their independence and that Mussolini had given them assurances that he would respect Albania’s sovereignty. Dino added that he had confidence in Mussolini’s word and he begged me to believe that he and his colleagues were “true Albanians who finding themselves in a most difficult situation were trying to salvage as much as they could from what had occurred.” He said that he [and?] his colleagues, had agreed tentatively upon a plan to which the Italians had not objected for the continuation of the present Albanian government for a period of two or three months when a new parliament will be called to adopt a new constitution. In the meantime the present government will function without a constitution using such provisions of the old constitution as may be deemed necessary. He intimated [Page 407] that the Albanian officials have some hope of having an Albanian named as Viceroy to represent the King of Italy within the framework of the new budgets and that in the meantime Francesco Jacomoni, the Italian Ambassador here, would likely act as the representative of the king. With respect to foreign relations he said that his government desires to maintain the same relations with foreign governments which have been maintained heretofore and he added that in order to avoid conflicts he proposed to issue new letters of credence for Chargé d’Affaires from his Ministry to new Ministers Plenipotentiary who may be named to vacant Albanian posts. He said that two posts are now vacant as a result of recent resignations, namely, London and Paris. A sounding has already been made with the British Foreign Office in regard to the London post. He said that his government desires to continue the Albanian Legation at Washington as heretofore and in this connection he requested me to have conveyed to Minister Faik Konitza a personal message urging him to try to understand the delicate situation confronting the members of the present Albanian government and to give them an opportunity to explain what they are trying to do.
In reply to my inquiry in regard to possible Italian assurances for the ultimate withdrawal of Italian troops, Dino said that the Albanian authorities felt that it was not wise to press this point at the present time and further that he believed that Italy’s military adventures were not designed to take place in Albania or in this general area but to prepare a base of operations in the event of a general war. He added that he believed the talk of Italian penetration into the inner region of Yugoslavia is Italian propaganda designed to please the Albanians who have been concerned over the Albanian minorities in Yugoslavia. He expressed the opinion that there may be as many as 100,000 Italian troops in Albania at the present time.
Commenting on the new Customs, Monetary and Economic Convention between Italy and Albania50 which was signed last night by Ambassador Jacomoni and the Albanian Minister of Finance Dino said that Italy had agreed to advance to Albania annually the sum of 15 million gold francs and also not to interfere with Albania’s internal taxation system. Notice of the denunciation by May 31 of existing commercial treaties with other foreign powers would be given soon, he said. The convention according to the official newspaper Drita today provides that the territory of Italy and Albania should be considered as one customs territory administered by the Italian customs regime. The Albanian gold franc is to be maintained at 6.25 Italian lire and there is created the monetary exchange monopoly in the Italian controlled Albanian National Bank which shall exercise this [Page 408] function in conformity with the regulations in force in Italy. Other agreements aim at the realization of enterprise for the economic development of the country and as an immediate consequence of this it was stated the importation of merchandise into Albania shall depend upon the transfer of exchange obligations from the Albanian National Bank as manager in the country of the monopoly of exchange and currencies. The convention it was stated further applies according to the directions of the Duce the fundamental plan of economic assistance by Italy to Albania and by opening up the Italian market to Albanian products will offer to Albania the possibility of realizing with larger profit the economic resources and will encourage her to increase her products which will thus bring rapid and fundamental prosperity to the Albanian people.
- Gazetta ufficiale del Regno d’Italia, August 1, 1939, pt. 1, p. 3546.↩