868.014/3–245

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Dunn)

The Ambassador of Greece82 called today and left with me two memoranda dated March 2d83 on the following subjects:

a)
Greek Embassy No. 581, March 2, 1945, memorandum on the subject of Albania’s tendency to come under the influence of the Yugoslav Government;
b)
Greek Embassy No. 771, March 2, 1945, Greek Government’s concern regarding possible Yugoslav and Bulgarian designs upon Greek Macedonia, and Greek Government’s desire to improve its strategical frontier between eastern Macedonia and western Thrace and Bulgaria.84

Regarding the first memorandum the Ambassador pointed out that Albania had for many years depended upon Italian subsidies for existence and that there were indications now that the Albanian authorities were tending to come under the influence of the Yugoslav authorities, whether by federation or other means of connection with Yugoslavia. He pointed out that the Greek Government expected to claim transfer to Greece of the northern Epirus area now in Albania adjoining the northern frontier of Greece.

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With regard to b) the Ambassador mentioned the apprehensions the Greek Government had with respect to the setting up of an autonomous Macedonia in the new federated form of Yugoslav Government and the possibilities of Bulgarian Macedonia being joined with this new autonomous state85 thus presenting some question of whether activities might not then be set on foot with a view to having Greek Macedonia also joined with this new State for the purpose of having the new entity include Salonika as its outlet to the sea.

Mr. Diamantopoulos also pointed out the desire of the Greek Government to improve its strategic frontier between its two eastern provinces and Bulgaria.

James Clement Dunn
  1. Cimon P. Diamontopoulos.
  2. Neither printed; the Department was informed that the contents of both memoranda had been communicated also to the British Government.
  3. In June there was an oral exchange between the Department of State and the British Embassy concerning this memorandum, and the Department was told that the British Foreign Office entertained serious doubts concerning the validity of the Greek claims against Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Albania (868.014/3–245).
  4. For documentation regarding the attitude of the United States concerning the idea of federation between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and an exchange of views with the British Government on this subject, see vol. v, pp. 1304 ff.