501.BB Balkan/8–2949: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Greece
urgent
1473. Balcom 299. Fol are Depts comments on ideas for supp report contained in third and subsequent paras Combal 481, Aug 29[Sept 2]:1
I. Consider resubmission whole issue to SC during GA session undesirable as wld disrupt orderly GA handling and preclude contemplated form of conciliation effort. Proposal for submission of damages case against Alb and Bulg to ICJ inadvisable because Court does not have compulsory jurisdiction. Furthermore it most unlikely Greece wld be able conclude special prior agreement with Alb and Bulg defining issues for ICJ to decide. All this wld take matters off main track without producing concrete results.
Dept opposed to recommendation for withdrawal dipl reps from Tirana. Undesirable cut off what remaining contacts we still have there through states friendly toward us. Proposal for control of Alb sea frontier through extension UNSCOB observation function opposed because (a) raises difficult questions internatl law; (b) wld represent measure of enforcement action which GA or subsidiary organ thereof cld not take, and (c) serious practical difficulties. Dept also objects to attempt define conduct of Alb and Bulg as “undeclared war” which wld inevitably raise Art 512 implications and take matter back to SC.
II. Dept looks with favor on an UNSCOB recommendation that GA call upon Alb and Bulg to permit UN authorities to verify publicized [Page 401] claims of those Govts that they are disarming and interning Grk guerrillas fleeing into their territory (re last para Combal 479, Sept 2).3
Re Atyeo proposal, Dept favorably disposed. However, Grks shld be prepared in advance to accept such arrangement. Question of what agency cld arrange reception of guerrillas and control of “protected area” can best be discussed at GA. Dept believes return of Grk children shld not be lumped with this proposal because GA Res on children clearly prescribes procedure for their repatriation. In practice it might prove possible to handle some aspects both problems through recourse to services ICEC.
III. Dept wld appreciate your comments and preliminary reaction other Dels to idea of separate comms for the different countries as suggested in para (h), Balcom 296.4
- Telegram 1758, p. 395.↩
- i.e., of the United Nations Charter.↩
- Telegram 1759, p. 394.↩
- Telegram 1417, Balcom 296, August 29 to Athens, not printed,
contained the substance of the recommendations subsequently set
forth in the Department of State policy paper on Greece,
SD/A/C.1/272, September 9, p. 404.
Paragraph (h) of Balcom 296 was the same as
paragraph 5 (i) of SD/A/C.1/272.
In his telegram 1791, Combal 483, September 9, from Athens, not printed, Drew insisted that he saw no advantage in the establishment of three separate border commissions. Such separate commissions could only be justified if Albania and Bulgaria were capable of exercising independent win, and that was manifestly not the case. (501.BB Balkan/9–949)
↩