740.00119 Control (Italy)/12–1845: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 18—9:25 p.m.]
4106. Following statement by Allied Commission is being handed to the press at 6 p.m. for release tomorrow morning Dec. 19, at one minute past midnight:
“Since his announcement of 13 Dec. 1945, Rear Admiral Ellery W. Stone, USNR, Chief Commissioner of the Allied Commission, has been in consultation with the Italian Govt with regard to the detailed arrangements for the handing back to Italian administration of the territories therein mentioned.
It is confirmed that the remaining Italian territory now under Allied Military Govt including the islands of Lampedusa, Linosa and Pantelleria [Page 1096] but excluding Venezia Giulia and the Province of Udine will be transferred to Italian administration on 31 Dec. 1945.29
The transfer of these territories and any withdrawal of Allied troops which the Supreme Allied Commander may determine are without prejudice to any frontier rectification which may be decided in the Peace Treaty.”
- The American Ambassador in Yugoslavia was instructed on January 3, 1946, to inform the Foreign Office that the transfer had been made on December 31 and to point out that the retention of Allied Military Government in Udine was based solely upon military considerations relating to lines of communication into Austria (740.00119 Control (Italy)/12–1845).↩