750G.00/12–453
Telegraphic Summary, by the Secretary of State 1
Today held two meetings with Eden, Pierson and Bidault, De Margerie, [Page 1745] during which with stout support from Eden I urged proceeding with approach to Tito and Pella as United Kingdom and United States had hitherto agreed.2 Bidault finally capitulated, but only after I had suggested that it might be less awkward for French in their special and valuable relationship with Italians, if United Kingdom and United States took responsibility for next approach. Bidault suggested, and Eden and I accepted following language. Only substantive change, apart from acceptance of Bidault’s original second point regarding AMG announcement, is that communiqué stating Five Power preconference had been agreed, would be issued on same day AMG statement issued in Trieste that AMG and Italian representatives would meet to discuss modalities transfer.
Following text should be substituted after third sentence of paragraph three of instruction previously agreed with United Kingdom (reference Foreign Office telegram 5026 Department,3 reference being unavailable here):
“We believe that a compromise can be found on the following lines: It would be agreed that the public announcement of a preliminary meeting should be made as soon as possible, as soon as the approval of Belgrade and Rome has been received. We should inform the Italian Government that, simultaneously with the beginning of the preliminary meeting, conversations would begin between representatives of the Italian Government and AMG regarding changes in individual civilian posts, as set forth in paragraph two of the proposals of November 13.4 In order that Mr. Pella may not have to answer embarrassing questions about the execution of the decision of October 8,5 a communiqué will be issued in Trieste, if the Yugoslavs and Italians accept our proposals in principle, announcing the opening of the conversations between the AMG and the Italian representatives. The contemplated transfers are of a minor administrative character.”
Three Ambassadors in Belgrade and Rome should concert for purpose approaching Tito and Pella respectively Saturday, December 5.6
Foregoing agreed with British and French who are sending similar instructions tonight.
- Transmitted to the Department of State in Secto 3 from Bermuda, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.; sent also to Belgrade and Rome and repeated to Paris and London. No other records of these two meetings have been found in Department of State files.↩
- Documentation on Trieste is presented in volume viii .↩
- Not found in Department of State files.↩
- On Nov. 13, the three Western powers proposed a preliminary conference of five to examine the Trieste question; documentation on this proposal is presented in volume viii .↩
- On Oct. 8, the United States and the United Kingdom had announced their decision to withdraw their troops from Zone A in the Free Territory of Trieste; documentation on this decision is presented ibid .↩
- On Dec. 5, Secretary Dulles reported that the U.K. and U.S. Delegations had made an error in proposing simultaneous approaches and stated that for the moment the approach would only be made in Belgrade. (Secto 6 from Bermuda, 750G.00/12–553)↩