760.5/6–354: Telegram
No. 342
The Ambassador in Greece (Cannon) to the
Department of State1
2881. I had long talk with Foreign Minister Monday2 along lines Deptel 33643 (see also Embtel 2854, May 294) on Ankara pact developments in light Tito’s visit here. Am confident Greeks will do their best to hold public commitments within framework our views but we must suppose that Tito talks will result in substantive advance of alliance project. Also we shall be lucky if public oratory can be kept reasonably close to level set by Ankara visit some weeks ago.
New Italian Ambassador rushed here to present Italian case before Tito visit. He arrived Monday evening presented his letters and talked with Papagos and Foreign Minister next morning and called on me yesterday. From his account of his talks I doubt if he yet has been effective. He labors Trieste issue on which we have already given Greeks heavy dose and by implication at least he maintains “veto” theme. Nonetheless Greeks have stopped upbraiding Italians (Deptel 33835) and have taken note that Trieste settlement will take time and require delicate negotiation.
Knowing that Yugoslav Ambassador will have hand in present transactions I then called on him and am glad I did. He was in dreadful state and declared Palermo speech proves Italians “never” want real Trieste settlement. He developed in higher key Popovic argument reported Belgrade’s 1269.6 We had long friendly discussion and he grew calmer, part of his anxiety doubtless being due to general responsibilities of Tito visit which is laid on in grand manner.
Kyrou informs me in strict confidence he and Popovic last evening agreed on tentative text of communiqué “which should satisfy [Page 651] everyone”. They have chosen to use French text and it would state alliance project determined on but details would be “etabli” by meeting of Foreign Ministers. He is quite proud of this pointing out it mentions no date for signature nor even for meeting and if French word is translated as “established” it is vague enough to mean almost anything.7
- Repeated for information to Ankara, Belgrade, London, Rome, and Paris.↩
- May 31.↩
- Telegram 3364, May 27, instructed the Embassies in Greece and Turkey “discreetly” to emphasize the desire of the United States that any new military pacts entered into by those countries be submitted to the North Atlantic Council for the information of all NATO members. (760.5/5–2454)↩
- In telegram 2854, Cannon expressed his general approbation of the points made in telegram 3364. (760.5/5–2954)↩
- Telegram 3383, May 29, instructed the Embassies in Greece and Turkey to request the governments of those countries to cease publicly placing the entire responsibility for the Trieste impact on the Italians. (760.5/5–2754)↩
- Telegram 1269, May 28, reported that Popović refused to accept Italian consent as a condition for a Balkan military alliance. (760.5/5–2854)↩
- For text of the Greek-Yugoslav communiqué following Tito’s visit, see Documents (R.I.I.A.) for 1954, p. 194.↩