740.00119 Council/4–1946: Telegram
The Assistant Secretary of State (Dunn) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:10 p.m.]
4357. This is Delsec 414 from Dunn. Greek Govt has submitted to CFM in letter to Secretary General new request that Council consider Greek claim to Northern Epirus. Secretary General is asked “to bring the matter to the attention of the Fon Mins severally and to the [Page 81] Council as a body,” for consideration “at their coming session.” Note states Greek Govt’s hope that Council will invite Greek representatives to be present when Greek claims discussed.4
Previous requests that CFM consider this territorial claim were submitted in connection with Greek proposal that Council prepare a peace treaty with Albania (see Delsec 237, March 5;5 repeated to Athens as 44 and to Tirana as 7, despatch No. 13, March 13,6 and record of 35th meeting of deputies on Italy April 57). In those cases Greek Govt was notified that the deputies were not authorized to consider the question raised. Present request, however, is based on section ii paragraph 3 (i) of the Potsdam communiqué which provides “Council shall be authorized—to propose settlement of territorial questions outstanding on the termination of the war in Europe.”8 Thus it is clearly within the Council’s terms of reference to discuss the Greek claim if the govts represented on it agree to place it on the agenda. Although this most recent Greek communication has not been discussed by the deputies, and there will not be time for them to discuss it before the Paris meeting on April 25, Dept may wish to give consideration to the position to be taken on (1) whether this territorial question should be discussed by the Council and (2) if it is discussed what settlement should be made.9
Sent Dept 4357; repeat Athens 68 and to Tirana as 9.
- Regarding the letter of April 10, 1946, from the Greek Chargé to the Secretary General of the Council of Foreign Ministers, see the bracketed note, p. 50.↩
- Telegram 2609 from London, p. 21.↩
- Not printed, but see footnote 42, p. 22.↩
- The Greek Ambassador in the United Kingdom transmitted to the Deputies a communication, dated March 25, 1946, not printed, regarding Greek territorial claims to Northern Epirus. At their meeting on April 6, 1946, the Deputies agreed that they were not authorized to consider the question.↩
- The quotation is from the Report on the Tripartite Conference of Berlin, Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Postdam Conference), 1945, vol. ii, p. 1500.↩
- The belief of the British Foreign Office that Greek territorial claims might be given a hearing at the Council of Foreign Ministers was reported upon in telegram 4472, April 25, 1946, from London, vol. vii, p. 147. In this connection, see also telegram 2074, May 2, to London, ibid., p. 154.↩