740.00119 European War 1939/1722
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Ailing)
Due to the illness of the Greek Ambassador, who had asked for an appointment, Mr. Philon62 called to present the Embassy’s note No. 1962, dated August 13, 1943 (copy attached63), containing the demands of the Greek Government that:
- 1)
- Greece be represented on the Armistice Delegation to be set up in connection with the anticipated surrender of Italy.
- 2)
- That every vestige of Italian domination be completely uprooted from the Eastern Mediterranean and from the West Coast of the Balkan peninsula and adjacent islands.
- 3)
- That the Armistice terms provide “for the immediate evacuation of Italian military and civil authorities of all the territories claimed by Greece (i.e. Northern Epirus and the Dodecanese) and for the delivery of these territories to Greek authorities”, or, in the absence of Greek authorities, be “provisionally left in the care of Allied authorities.”
I told Mr. Philon that the Embassy’s note would receive the attention of the appropriate authorities of this Government, including the military. I said I should point out, however, that it was the policy [Page 351] of this Government that territorial questions be left for settlement after the war.
In reply to my inquiry, Mr. Philon said that similar representations had been made to the British Government.
Referring to the Greek request for representation on the Armistice Commission, I asked Mr. Philon if he knew whether the Yugoslav Government was making a similar demand. He had no information on this point.