868.00/5–646
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. James E. Doyle98
| Present: | Mr. Dragoumis, Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Greece |
| Greek Ambassador to the US, Mr. Diamantopoulos | |
| Director General of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Foreign Office99 | |
| Secretary Byrnes | |
| Mr. Doyle |
Mr. Dragoumis spoke first about the borders between Greece and Albania and between Greece and Bulgaria. He stated that the people who evacuated these border areas during the war are afraid to return even to admittedly Greek territory because of the unsettled conditions. He said, with respect to the Albanian border, that the existing border gives great strategic advantage to Albania, and that this was demonstrated by the Italian invasion of Greece through Albania. He regards a rectification of the border with Albania as particularly important because Albania is subject to influence of other larger powers. Moreover, because of Albania’s strategic location on the Adriatic, it may be in the interests of countries other than Greece to restrict its power.
Mr. Dragoumis referred particularly to the island of Saseno, which was ceded by Greece to Albania in 1913. Italy seized the island from the Albanians and fortified it. Its location near the narrow entrance to the Adriatic lends it strategic importance. Greece is anxious that the island be returned to her now.
The Secretary expressed the view that neither the security of Greece nor that of any other country in that part of the world could be achieved by boundary rectifications. The hope for security resides in UN and if UN fails no additions of territory to Greece will make her secure. He explained that the questions which Mr. Dragoumis had mentioned had not been discussed by the Council, with the exception of the Dodecanese. He said that the Council members were agreed in principle that the Dodecanese should go to Greece, but that the Soviet has refused to come to a firm agreement on the matter and had in fact refused once more at the morning’s meeting. The Secretary said that starting tomorrow the Council planned to turn to the Balkan treaties.
Mr. Dragoumis remarked that it would be most difficult for any Greek government to sign any treaties which do not correct the [Page 157] boundary injustices in Northern Epirus and in Thrace. The Secretary observed that the Italians and the Yugoslavs and other governments said the same thing about treaties which might be unfavorable to them. Mr. Dragoumis remarked that Greece, unlike Italy, had fought on the side of the Allies throughout. The Secretary said he appreciated the significance of this fact and expressed his admiration for the way in which the Greeks had fought.
Mr. Dragoumis then turned to the matter of shipping. He referred to the shipping losses Greece had suffered, stressed the importance of shipping to Greece, and requested the assistance of the United States in obtaining some merchant ships for Greece either from Italy or elsewhere. The Secretary explained that the only discussion in the Council to date in connection with Greece and ships was the discussion about the Italian cruiser to replace the Greek cruiser sunk by the Italians. He added that when the Council comes to discuss the Italian merchant fleet, he will remember the interest of the Greek Government in the matter.
In response to a question by the Secretary, Mr. Dragoumis explained the importance of the Dodecanese to Greece because of their value for fishing and sponges.
Mr. Dragoumis thanked the Secretary for the United States observers of the recent elections and stated that the presence of these observers had helped a great deal. The Secretary said that he had talked to Mr. Grady about the elections and that Mr. Grady had complimented the Greek Government and people on the manner in which the elections were conducted. Mr. Dragoumis suggested the possibility that the United States might participate in the preparations for a plebiscite in the fairly near future. The Secretary stated that the United States would of course participate only upon the request of the Greek Government, but that if a request were forthcoming he thought that some such arrangement might add to the world’s confidence in the fairness of the plebiscite.