Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Near East and Africa, Volume VII

768.75/7–1346

Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of South European Affairs (Barbour) to the Deputy Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson)

[Washington,] July 18, 1946.

NE has handed SE the attached correspondence from the Greek Embassy, the British Embassy and our Embassy Athens³⁸ concerning a formal Greek request to the British and ourselves that we transmit to the Albanian Government a Greek protest concerning recent Greek-Albanian border incidents. You will note that the British Embassy states³⁹ that in the absence of British relations with Albania the British are not in a position to comply with this Greek request but they hope that the US will be able to do so. It is NE’s feeling that we should instruct Jacobs as the Greeks and British suggest.

Subject to your approval, I propose to take the following line with NE:

In pointing out that our Mission in Tirana is only informal and that we in fact have no diplomatic relations with the Albanian Government, I will indicate that Eur is disinclined to take the matter up as requested. It seems to me that in the absence of impartial corroboration of the Greek allegations, of which we have none, we are in a weak position to transmit a protest on behalf of one of the contestants when it is obvious that such action will result in countercharges by the Albanians supported by their Yugoslav and Soviet friends which will only serve to further acerbate the situation. While there has undoubtedly been shooting on this frontier it seems to me that on the face of it, in the absence of exact information, it might be assumed that the Greeks have more cause to initiate such incidents than the Albanians. The Greeks are the ones claiming frontier rectification and might therefore wish to keep the frontier disturbed. In addition, the Greeks admit the presence of Greek fugitives from justice in the area (presumably Elasites) who have been carrying on guerrilla warfare in Greece ever since liberation.

The Greek Chargé indicated in a conversation with NE that it was Greece’s intention to request the Four Allies to take this matter up with the Albanian Government. If Greece does so, i.e. raise it with the Soviets and French in addition to their present approach to us and the British, I think we should be prepared to consult with the USSR, Britain and France as to the possibility of concerted action. Similarly, we should be prepared to give appropriate consideration if Greece should see fit to present the matter to the Security Council. In the absence of Greek action along one or the other of the above lines, I do not believe we should take any steps in the matter.⁴⁰

Walworth Barbour

38. Not printed.
39. In an informal letter of July 16 to Mr. Baxter from Mr. Pares, not printed.
40. In a note dated August 22, 1946, the Acting Secretary of State informed the Greek Ambassador that “in the absence of official relations between the United States Government and the Albanian Government, the informal American Mission at Tirana is not in a position to act in accordance with the request of the Greek Government.” (768.75/7–1346)