740.00119 EW/5–2746: Telegram
The Chargé in Italy ( Key ) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 28—8:35 a.m.]
2637. I feel I must call Dept’s attention to public statements and press interviews by Prime Minister on inacceptability to Italian Government of “French line” as eastern boundary. (See mytel 2510, 2538 and 2583 of May 18, 21 and 234). On basis our information here, French line is little better than Morgan line which is economically and ethnically unsound and which we assured the Italians was drawn only for administration purposes of occupation and would not prejudice final settlement. There is little doubt that acceptance of French line would be bitter disappointment to all shades of Italian opinion and that any representative Italian Government emerging from June 2 elections could agree to it only under duress. (Reference Delsec 501, May 13, from Paris.5)
It would certainly be considered here that we had compromised on the ethnic principle agreed to in London last September. Furthermore, any solution leaving the large Italian population of western Istria and Pola under Yugoslav domination will always be a source of Italian irredentism and encourage growing cynicism toward possibility of peaceful settlement of future international problems.
It is not coincidental that the American experts in 1919 proposed an Italian-Yugoslav frontier very near that proposed by the US delegation in Paris this month. Unfortunately for Italian Yugoslav relations, the American delegation of 27 years ago was not able to make its solution prevail. The present American line is an equitable ratification [Page 450] of the 1939 eastern frontier and I earnestly hope that at the next meeting of CFM we will not abandon that sound and considered position.
Sent Dept 2673 [2637]; repeated Paris 680.
- None of the telegrams cited here are printed. The “French line” under reference is the line proposed for the Italo-Yugoslav boundary by the French expert on the Italo-Yugoslav Boundary Commission as set forth in the Annex A to the Minutes of the 73rd Meeting of that Commission, April 28, 1946, p. 148 and as depicted on the map facing p. 152.↩
- Not printed; it transmitted the Secretary of State’s summary report of the proceedings of the 6th Informal Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, May 13, 1946; for the United States Delegation Record of that meeting, see p. 360.↩