CFM Files
United States Delegation Journal
USDel (PC) (Journal) 30
Discussion on the second paragraph of Article 2 (Mont Cenis) of the Italian draft treaty continued. The representatives of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa opposed the paragraph on the basis of insufficient grounds for a claim and insufficient information. Mr. Mason (New Zealand) declared that his Delegation would probably renew [Page 327] their appeal to the French to withdraw this rectification when the question came up for final decision in a Plenary Session of the Conference. The representative of Belgium, while declaring that he would vote for the article because of his confidence in the friendly spirit of France towards Italy, made the reservation that Belgium was not obliged to accept responsibility for decisions of the Council of Foreign Ministers which had been taken without Belgian participation. The representative of Brazil declared his intention to vote in favor of the article in view of the extreme moderation of French claims against Italy. In a general rebuttal of the doubts expressed during the morning meeting on the transfer of the Mont Cenis area to France, M. Couve de Murville referred to the desire of the French Delegation to make available all information on this claim to the Delegates and recalled that before submitting France’s territorial claims against Italy to the Council of Foreign Ministers his country had attempted to negotiate this question directly with Italy which had, however, refused to discuss the problem. The French Delegate concluded that his Government was primarily interested in happy relations between France and Italy.
In response to requests from the Canadian and Chinese Delegates for a more detailed description of the proposed Franco-Italian boundary in the Mont Cenis area, the Chairman proposed that the Commission should vote on the text of paragraph 2, Article 2 on the understanding that the records of the Commission indicate clearly that the French memorandum describing in detail the frontier (C.P. (IT/P) Doc. 20)99 and a map be attached to the treaty. The paragraph, thus conditioned, was put to the vote and accepted with 15 votes in the affirmative and 5 abstentions. The countries abstaining were Australia, India, New Zealand, the Netherlands and South Africa.
The Commission considered subsection 1 of paragraph 3, Article 2, (Mont-Thabor Area). M. Couve de Murville (France) said that his Government was willing to accept the Italian reservation that the proposed frontier in this area be adjusted to leave to Italy the dam and reservoir area of the hydro-electric plant of Bardonecchia (CP (IT/P) Doc. 12, Annex 1, A, p. 4).1 He said that the draft article would be amended accordingly if the Commission approved. This section of the Article was accepted by the Commission with the French modification.
Subsection 2 of paragraph 3, Article 2 (Mont-Chaberton), was likewise adopted by the Commission without comment and without objection.
In consideration of paragraph 4 of Article 2 (Upper Tinee, Vesubie and Roya Valleys), M. Couve de Murville made the following defense [Page 328] of the French claim on this area. (1) The western part of the area known as the “hunting grounds” had been left to Italy, despite a plebiscite in 1860, for personal reasons to please a former King of Italy. The Italian Delegation in Paris had conceded this claim. (2) The Tenda and Briga Area to the east had remained with Italy in 1860 for Italian security reasons. It is geographically on the French side of the natural frontier and a Commission of Experts had gone to the area and reported back to the CFM before a decision was taken. (3) The Southern portion of this area, Olivetta-San Michele, was claimed by France to eliminate an inconvenient salient of Italian territory in France. After careful consideration of the Italian arguments the French Government was now prepared to modify its proposed frontier to leave the village of Olivetta to Italy. Therefore a slight modification in the drafting of the article would be required and a detailed description of the new frontier and a new map would be prepared and circulated by the French Delegation. The Chairman made note of the French amendment in the Commission’s record of proceedings.
In reply to questions from the representatives of South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands, M. Couve de Murville reiterated in somewhat greater detail the arguments already advanced by the French Delegation on behalf of this area. The representative of the Netherlands reserved the right to return to his question regarding French guarantees to Italy of hydro-electric power in this area when Article 9, paragraph 2, came under consideration. Baron de Gruben (Belgium) made a reservation with regard to the article on Tenda and Briga similar to that which he had made on Mont Cenis. (See above) Paragraph 4 of Article 2 subject to the rectification providing that Olivetta remain in Italy, was accepted by the Commission without further observation.
The meeting adjourned at 1:50 p.m.