860S.00/7–1747
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Ref: G.9/ /47
Aide-Mémoire
trieste
The British Ambassador in Rome has received an aide-mémoire from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of which the following is a summary:1
The Italian Government consider that the clauses of the Treaty about Venezia Giulia are an indivisible whole so that their execution by Italy must depend on simultaneous execution by the Americans. Allied authorities have taken all measures (a) necessary for the transfer of territory ceded to Yugoslavia on the entry into force of the Treaty and (b) relating to the situation as between the Free Territory and Italy. But corresponding measures for other aspects of the Treaty, notably those relating to the situation between the Free Territory and Yugoslavia, have not been taken. In particular, no agreement has yet been reached for the provisional delimitation of the future Yugoslav-Free Territory frontier, nor for making that frontier effective, nor for the carrying out of Article 5, Annex VII, which lays down that on the entry into force of the Treaty Yugoslav troops in the Free Territory shall not exceed 5,000.
In inviting their most serious attention to the above the Italian Government urgently request the British and United States Governments to examine the possibility of maintaining their administration in that part of Zone A which is awarded to Yugoslavia by the Treaty after its entry into force until necessary agreements have been reached and measures taken to render operative principal clauses—more specifically those referred to above—relating to the Free Territory.
In making this request the Italian Government emphasised that their motive is only in the general interest to avoid as far as possible any chance of future trouble. The aide-mémoire concludes by referring to the legitimate expectation of the Italian people that in accepting the severe and painful territory clauses of the Treaty they can be assured that the interests of that part of the national territory and [Page 87] of its population which is being separated from the Mother Country and incorporated in the Free Territory will be completely safeguarded.
2. The British Foreign Secretary’s view on the matter raised by the Italian Government is that, while it is possible that the Yugoslavs may give cause for complaint in the execution of the Treaty, the United States and British Governments should avoid putting themselves in the wrong first. Quite apart, therefore, from the general principle that His Majesty’s Government must implement Treaties, Mr. Bevin is not prepared to accept the Italian suggestion that there should be delay in the implementation of those clauses of the Peace Treaty which are of benefit to the Yugoslavs until such time as they have fulfilled their obligations to the satisfaction of the Italian Government.
3. Mr. Bevin therefore proposes to reply as follows:
“Once the Treaty has been brought into force His Majesty’s Government will feel bound faithfully to carry out all its provisions. Unless the Yugoslavs have failed to ratify and thus forfeit their rights under Article 89 there can be no possible question of His Majesty’s Government refusing to evacuate the territory to be ceded to Yugoslavia or of suspending the entry into force of any other provision. If the Italian Government then consider that the Yugoslavs are failing to fulfil their obligations, they should make a complaint as provided for under Article 83; and should the complaint be justified they may count on the full support of His Majesty’s Government.”
4. The British Embassy in Washington have been asked by the British Foreign Secretary to find out whether a similar approach has been made to the United States Government, and if so whether they agree to a reply on the above lines.
- In telegram 1916, July 10, from Rome, not printed, Ambassador Dunn reported receipt by the U.S. Embassy of the same memorandum on July 8 (860S.00/7–1047).↩