860S.00/3–1648: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France
Niact 836. Ur 1400 Mar 16.1 Brit Emb here being requested obtain concurrence postponement publication three power declaration re Trieste until 11 am EST Mar 19, owing delay in consulting Fr Govt.
[Page 515]When UK concurs this postponement,2 you shd in concert your Brit colleague discuss proposed action re Trieste with Bidault and endeavor obtain his approval draft declaration as amended by UK (London’s 1071 rptd Paris 109)3 and further revised here (Dept’s immediately following tel).4
Inasmuch as De Gasperi’s views are now known (Rome’s 1154 Mar 16 rptd London 116 Paris 162), procedure outlined Deptel 807 Mar 13 shd be amended omit discussion with Ital Govt. If UK and Fr Govts concur proposed action Mar 19, however, De Gasperi shd be informed thereof in strictest confidence Mar 18.
Sent Paris 836 London 931 Rome 708.
- In this telegram, not printed, Caffery strongly urged keeping to the original schedule in order to be able to give Bonnet some draft for study. (860S.00/3–1648)↩
- In telegram 1072 of March 16, not printed, the Chargé in London reported that the British Foreign Office was worried lest the other side jump the gun; they had received intelligence that Togliatti was preparing to announce on or about April 6 that the Soviet Government favored the return of Trieste to Italy. Hence they urged that the declaration should be issued on March 18 as had been planned. (860S.00/3–1648)↩
- In this telegram, not printed, the Chargé in London notified the Department that the Foreign Office was urgently cabling its Washington Embassy certain changes of wording which were to be made immediately available to the Department, while at the same time these changes were being cabled to the British Embassies in Paris and Rome (860S.00/3–1548).↩
- Niact 837 to Paris, 932 to London, 709 to Rome, March 16, not printed.↩