868.00/8–845
The Second Secretary of the British Embassy
(Gore-Booth)
to the Acting Assistant Chief of the Division of
Southern European Affairs (Barbour)
Washington, August 8,
1945.
Dear Mr. Barbour: I enclose herewith a
paraphrase of a telegram dated August 6th from the Foreign Office to
this Embassy, suggesting that the proposed Three Power Commission of
investigation into alleged persecution of Slavs in Greek Macedonia be
widened to a Four Power Commission to include the French.60
I shall be glad to learn whether this suggestion commends itself to the
Department, and also your views regarding a clear definition of the
terms of reference, the necessity of which is mentioned in paragraph
3.
Yours sincerely,
[Enclosure]
The British Embassy to
the Department of State
Paraphrase of Telegram Received From the
Foreign Office, Dated August 6, 1945
I agree that we need not insist on procedure suggested by which an
appeal would be made to the five Great Powers under Moscow
declaration61 and United
Nations’ Charter. I feel strongly however
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that any Allied Commission should include the
French as well as the Americans, ourselves and the Russians. This is
a matter with which the French should be concerned and it would
moreover be anomalous if we did not consult them on this question
after they have agreed to share in supervising of the Greek
elections.62 I hope therefore
that the United States Government will agree to extend their
proposed Three Power Commission to include the French. Although
their proposal has already been put to the Greek and Yugoslav
Governments, I see no reason why it should not be revised in this
sense.
If the United States Government agree with this view, instructions
could then be sent to His Majesty’s Representative in Athens to
concert an approach to the Greek Government with his United States
colleague on the lines suggested in your telegram of August 2nd
substituting Four Power for Three Power Commission of
investigation.
If the Soviet Government agree to take part in the Commission, it is
essential that the Commission’s terms of reference should be clearly
defined. The Soviet Representative may otherwise try to bring in
such questions as the character of the present Greek Regime and the
territorial issues, i.e. the Yugoslav claims on Greek Macedonia. I
suggest that the terms of reference proposed in paragraph 5 of our
telegram of July 25th might be suitable. The Commission would thus
be instructed to ascertain the facts and to enquire into the
allegations that Greek citizens had fled into Yugoslavia and to
arrange for their return. If necessary it might discuss exchange of
populations so as to eliminate “minorities” in both countries.
Washington,
August 8,
1945.
