667.81/1–1450: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Greece
74. Dept has recd memo from another agency stating … Athens [source] approached by Rendis2 re Grk plan for Greco-Albanian confederation and requested by Rendis to discuss further with Papagos3 and Pipinelis.4 Emb reportedly informed by … [source] of conversation.
Dept’s reply informs other agency that Dept already aware this project which it considers unfeasible and undesirable, especially in light of anti-Grk attitude majority Albanians, and containing danger of serious complications with Itals, Yugos and Soviet bloc. Reply adds … [source] shld not participate in discussion this polit subj with Grk officials who, if persistent, shld be referred to Amb. Also recommends against any operational arrangements by other agency designed promote Grk project.
Suggest you approach Grk FonOff and emphatically discourage them from undertaking any such plan. US wld give no support to project which Dept considers (1) inconsistent with Albania’s right to independence to which US has subscribed since first World War (2) likely to embroil Grks with Albanians and also with Yugos and thus not only to damage Greece’s own interests and position but also to provide new source of instability in Balkans and danger to world peace. You may tell Grks that we strongly oppose any operations or arrangements with émigré Albanians looking toward action in Albania with objective of establishing union or any other exclusive arrangement between Albania and neighboring countries (viz. Grk, Yugo or Ital).
Last connection Grk Emb here recently inquired re reported Ital proposal for US-UK-Fr-Ital conversations on Albania, and said [Page 364] Grk Govt wld regard as “incompatible with friendly relations” any such discussions which excluded Grks. Emb was informed Ital has made no such démarche to US (though we have since learned démarche was made to Fr).5 To sugar-coat above unpalatable remarks, you may assure Grks US does not contemplate any such conversations and in any event wld not agree to participate if Grks were excluded.
- Constantine Rendis, former Greek Foreign Minister.↩
- Field Marshal Alexander Papagos, Commander in Chief of the Greek Army.↩
- Panayotis Pipinelis, Greek Foreign Minister, from January 6, 1950.↩
- In late December 1940 the Italian Government asked the French Government whether it was prepared to take part in four-power (Italian-French-U.S.-U.K.) consultations regarding Albania. The French Embassy on January 12, 1950, informed the Department of State that France had replied negatively to the Italian proposal. The remarks summarized here occurred during a conversation on January 6 between John D. Jernegan, Director of the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, and Greek Minister Paul Economou-Gouras (memorandum of conversation by Leonard J. Cromie, January 6, 1950: 667.81/1–650).↩