Office of the Historian

396.1 LO/10–1853: Telegram

No. 308
The United States Delegation at the Tripartite Foreign Ministers Conference to the Department of State1
top secret
London, October 18, 1953—5 p.m.

Secto 31. Eyes only Ambassador Lodge. Limit distribution. Subject: Trieste. Information available at tripartite Foreign Ministers meeting this morning indicated doubt that Yugoslavia and Italy would accept five power conference proposal.2 Discussion therefore concerned primarily with possible alternative courses of action. In view of danger of hostilities if Italian military forces are now introduced into Zone A, and pending further clarification of Yugoslav and Italian plans and intentions, possible course of action would be to turn over civil administration in Zone A to Italians in near future while deferring action on introduction of Italian military forces.

Eden suggested and Secretary agreed to recommend to Department:

1.
That State and Defense send representatives London to consider urgently with British JCS (to whom Winterton is directly responsible) possible arrangements for turning over civil administration of Zone A to Italy while maintaining US–UK troops there.
2.
This group would work in liaison with tripartite group also in London to consider political aspects of problem. Bidault agreed to French participation on this group.
3.
When subject comes up in UN on October 20 three powers will press for postponement of at least a week on grounds that conversations taking place.

Full report on discussion by separate telegram.3

  1. Repeated to the U.S. Mission at the United Nations.↩
  2. See Secto 10 and Tosec 14, Documents 299 and 300.↩
  3. Secto 34, infra.↩