875.00/504: Telegram
The Minister in Albania (Grant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:35 p.m.]
55. Within the last 24 hours I have discussed the Albanian political situation individually with five of my colleagues, namely, the British, French, Greek, Turkish and Rumanian Ministers. We are agreed that Albanian independence and national sovereignty as constituted at the present moment is a fiction despite the assurances of Mussolini to the Albanian political leaders who met him in Rome to the effect that he would respect Albanian independence and in spite of the hopes and confidential note of certain Albanian government leaders as outlined to me Saturday52 by the Albanian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dino. In support of the theory that Albanian independence is a myth I submit the following observations.
- 1.
- Italian Ambassador Jacomoni who has been officially designated as Lieutenant General representing the King of Italy in Albania is rapidly signing far-reaching agreements with the authorities of the Albanian government. Within the last 3 days agreements have been signed providing for a customs union between Italy and Albania which it is generally conceded will likely result in wiping out practically all trade except Italo-Albanian trade; for monetary and exchange [Page 410] control through the Italian controlled National Bank of Albania; and for the establishment of equal civil and political rights for Italians in Albania the result of which it is believed will be large scale colonization of Albania by Italians.
- 2.
- A puppet government established by the Italians is apparently taking its orders from the Italian Ambassador and Lieutenant General, Jacomoni.
- 3.
- It would appear that the Italians may be deliberately deceiving the Albanians who do not really comprehend the true meaning of independence in order to gain the good will of the Albanians and at the same time to prevent insurrection (suggested by the Turkish Minister).
- 4.
- The Italians may be creating a facade of independence for outside consumption and perhaps especially for the consumption of the British in view of the accord between Italy and Great Britain.
- 5.
- A sizable army of occupation controls every section of the country including all means of communication and there is no indication of early withdrawal of the troops. Troops and supplies are still coming in, according to reliable reports.
- 6.
- By the time the new parliament is convened for the adoption of a new constitution “within a month or two” as indicated by the Albanian authorities it seems likely that the Italians will have gained all of their objectives by “agreements” reached with the Albanian government.
- 7.
- The Italian propaganda machine is working overtime culminating yesterday in the organization of the Albanian Fascist Party which is to be headed by a prominent member of the former Albanian Parliament who will participate in the directorate of the Italian National Fascist Party. A monster military demonstration was staged in Tirana yesterday with the Italian commander Guzzoni; the General Secretary of the Fascist Party, Starace; the Under Secretary for Albanian Affairs in the Italian Foreign Office Benini; the Italian Minister of Public Works; the Lieutenant General, Jacomoni; the Albanian Prime Minister and the German and French Ministers to Albania in the reviewing stand.
- April 22.↩