740.00119 Council/3–546: Telegram
The Assistant Secretary of State ( Dunn ) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received March 5—5:08 p.m.]
2609. Delsec No. 237 from Dunn. Greek Govt has submitted request that Council of Foreign Ministers prepare instruments of a treaty of peace with Albania for submission to the forthcoming peace conference. Letter from Greek Foreign Minister40 to CFM asks that Greece be invited to send representatives to be present “during discussion [Page 22] and study of terms of peace treaty with Albania” and draws particular attention to Greek claim to Northern Epirus. Letter and accompanying memo dated Feb 15 state that Albania took active part in the war against Greece since 28 Oct 1940 and cite Albania’s solidarity with Axis and declaration of war in June 1940 against all states at war with Italy. Memo purports to describe Albania’s participation in invasion and occupation of Greek territory, says these acts not different from those of “other satellite countries (Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary)” and states that there still exists atmosphere of virtual belligerence between Albania and Greece evidenced by persecution of Greek element in Northern Epirus, a province of which Greece was unjustly deprived after the last war and which should be returned.
Deputies at Feb 28 and March 1 meetings discussed nature of reply to be sent by temporary chairman (Lord Hood)41 to Greek Foreign Minister. It was agreed to acknowledge receipt of Greek request to draw up treaty of peace between Greece and Albania and in connection with it to consider Greece’s claim to Northern Epirus and to state that the deputies had no authority to discuss the question raised. UK and US delegations mentioned that although deputies had been given no specific instructions regarding consideration of territorial disputes outside scope of five peace treaties now under discussion such as Northern Epirus, it was within terms of references of CFM to propose settlements of territorial questions outstanding on the termination of war in Europe. However, since Greek claim to Northern Epirus presented as part of and in connection with proposed peace treaty with Albania, deputies agreed that they had no authority to discuss it.
Copies of Greek Foreign Minister’s letter and Greek memo being forwarded by air.42
Sent Dept as 2609, repeated Athens as 44, Tirana as 7.
- Constantine Rendis.↩
- Sir Samuel Hood, of the British Foreign Office.↩
- Copies of Rendis’ undated letter and the memorandum dated February 15, 1946, were transmitted to the Department as enclosures to despatch 13, March 13, 1946, from the Delegation at the Council of Foreign Ministers at London, none printed (740.00119 Council/3–1346). For additional documentation regarding the interest of the United States in the Greek territorial claims against Albania, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria, see vol. vii, pp. 88 ff.↩