875.00/507: Telegram
The Minister in Albania (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 7—12:25 p.m.]
64. What is described in the Tirana press today as important conversations for the reconstruction of Albania have taken place following the arrival in Tirana Thursday and Friday53 of high officials of the Italian Government including the Under Secretary of State for Albania in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Minister of Public Works and two Italian senators. Francesco Jacomoni, the Lieutenant General representing the King of Italy in Albania, has participated in the consultations which it is stated have been held to determine the general lines of an economical and technical character which Italy is preparing to give to Albania and a program for the construction of roads, buildings and hotels. Gigli, Minister of Public Works who incidentally was received yesterday at the port of Durazzo with a salute of 19 guns, left Tirana today for a study of highways in Albania. I understand from reliable sources that the Italians plan to improve immediately, presumably for strategic purposes, highways leading from Durazzo to Gjinocastro and Korcha, cities in the south and southeast near the Greek frontier.
The construction program will also provide for the reclamation of large swamp areas it is believed for future Italian colonization. The Under Secretary of State for Albania it is understood also gave consideration to the proposed new Albanian constitution. He returned to Italy today.
In another informal conversation with Dino, the Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, I was informed that the Italians will likely demand [Page 412] at least two additional agreements, namely, the control of the gendarmerie and further control of the Agricultural Bank.
It is officially announced in the press that the Albanian Minister in London, Lee Kurti, the Chargé d’Affaires in Paris, Prince Abid Hamid who married King Zog’s sister 2 years ago, and the Chargé d’Affaires in Cairo, Abdul Sula, have been dismissed by a decree issued by the Italian Lieutenant General Jacomoni.
The first copy of the Albanian Official Gazette issued since the Italian occupation has appeared and the texts of the two agreements to which reference was made in my telegrams No. 52, April 22, 6 p.m.; and 53, April 23, 11 p.m., namely, (1) the Customs, Monetary and Economic Union between Italy and Albania and, (2) the agreement which provides that citizens of Albania who reside in Italy and citizens of Italy who reside in Albania shall enjoy all the civil and political rights which they enjoy in their respective national territories. It is regarded as significant that Jacomoni who negotiated these agreements with the Albanian government subsequently signed the decrees as Lieutenant General of His Majesty Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy and Albania, Emperor of Ethiopia, together with the Albanian Prime Minister and the Albanian Ministers concerned. Copies of these decrees in translation are being sent to the Department air mail via Paris on Monday.
All Albanian paper money carrying the picture of King Zog has been recalled by the Italian controlled National Bank and restamped in such a way that the former King’s features are obliterated.
Several Legations including the American, French, Rumanian and Greek are now being picketed by plainclothes spies according to observers who state that the pickets attempt to identify all persons who enter these Legations. It is believed that this system has been instigated by Italian officials. I have suggested to my colleague and neighbor, the Greek Minister who is the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, that we make official inquiry concerning this matter with a view of protesting if it is proved that such unwarranted methods are being followed. He has agreed.
According to the Italian controlled Albanian press 200 Albanian chieftains from Dibra have called on Jacomoni and signed a pact renouncing blood feuds and promising to settle their quarrels under the protection of Fascism. They also presented a petition which includes request for reduction of taxes. Jacomoni also received the homage of high dignitaries of the Catholic Church in Albania, including the Apostolic Delegate and the Archbishop of Scutari. The Albanian Minister of Finance has gone to Rome as the head of a delegation which will participate in the celebration of the Empire on May 9. A general Bureau of Press, Propaganda and Tourism has [Page 413] been created. There appears to be a temporary lull in the arrival of Italian troops since no transports have appeared at Durazzo for the last 3 days. The Turkish Minister formerly a high officer in the Foreign Office at Ankara informed me today that he has received confidential information from his Government to the effect that it seems probable that Turkey, England, France and Russia will soon agree to form a military bloc which he commented should be able to stop the aggressors. He added that in the event of war his country would move immediately against Bulgaria, if that country leaned towards the Axis Powers. He agreed with an opinion expressed by the Greek Minister, who has just returned from Athens, where he held consultations with Prime Minister Metaxas that it seems apparent that Italy and Germany have succeeded in neutralizing Yugoslavia at least at the beginning of hostilities but that after the first shock the Yugoslavs would join the forces opposed to the Axis Powers.
- May 4 and 5.↩