Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Council of Foreign Ministers, Volume II

740.00119 Council/5–446: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the President and the Acting Secretary of State

secret
urgent

Paris, May 4, 1946—9 p.m.
[Received 6:25 a.m.]

2142. Delsec 458. For the President and the Acting Secretary from the Secretary. At Council of Foreign Ministers meeting May 3 Kardelj and De Gasperi were present to give Yugoslav and Italian views respectively on report of Commission of Experts on Yugoslav-Italian frontier and on lines recommended by four commissioners.¹⁵

Kardelj delivered lengthy speech in which he criticized certain aspects of report and particularly lines recommended by US, UK and French Commissioners. He regarded these recommendations as inconsistent with CFM September decision that frontier should follow ethnic line in the main and as not even in conformity with commission’s own factual report. He concluded by saying that Yugoslavia, as Allied nation which had made great sacrifices and should be given all “Yugoslav national territory” and adequate protection against possible future Italian aggression, could not accept anything less than frontier claimed at September meeting of CFM.¹⁶

De Gasperi in briefer statement commended commission’s factual report as substantially accurate and as confirming statements made by Italian Government. He said line recommended by Soviet member was obviously not consistent with September CFM decision since it would leave 600,000 Italians under Yugoslav rule. He maintained that Italy was not claiming a strategic frontier and had already indicated willingness to accept Wilson Line,^16a which proposed line of US Commissioner more nearly approached than did other 3 lines. He saw no reason why Italy should be deprived of Arsa coal mines, as proposed by British member, or of Italian towns of southwestern Istria, as proposed by French member.¹⁷

After hearing Yugoslav and Italian views Council agreed to adjourn.

Sent Department 2142; repeated London 291; Moscow 159; Rome 88 and Belgrade as 22.

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Byrnes

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15. No United States Delegation Record of this meeting has been found.
16. The full text of Deputy Prime Minister Kardelj’s statement to the Council was subsequently circulated as document C.F.M. (46) 42, May 4, 1946, not printed.
17. Regarding the “Wilson Line” see footnote 2c, p. 78.
17. The full text of Prime Minister de Gasperi’s statement to the Council was subsequently circulated as document C.F.M. (46) 43, May 4, 1946, not printed.