875.01/563a
Memorandum by the Secretary of State for President Roosevelt
In a conversation at the White House yesterday the President asked Mr. Acheson1 for the reasons for the omission of Albania in invitations for last year’s Food Conference2 and the forthcoming Monetary Conference.3
Since the occupation of Albania by Italian troops in April 19394 there has been no Albanian authority abroad able to muster sufficient strength to lay any substantial claim to representing either resistance forces within the country or unified Albanian groups abroad.
After the Italian occupation the Government of King Zog disintegrated, Zog eventually receiving admission to England in the quality of a distinguished private person. The American Government never formally terminated its relations with King Zog, but our Minister at Tirana5 was instructed to depart from Albania, and the Albanian Legation at Washington was closed in the late spring of 1939.6 The former government must therefore be considered as at least in suspense, and factional strife has prevented other exiles from [Page 272] forming any group of a representative character. Unfortunately there is a similar lack of unity among the patriots at home. Consequently there is at present no one to whom an invitation to any international conference might be sent without prejudging the future political institutions of the country.
This Government has nevertheless repeatedly demonstrated its interest in Albanian independence, and has sought to encourage Albanian unity and resistance. As recently as April 6 the Department issued a public statement, a copy of which is attached.7 There have also been recurrent conversations with the British and with the several Albanian leaders here who, together with similar groups in London and elsewhere, have made various attempts to form a provisional representative body, without, it must be said, much prospect of achieving any real unity.
- Dean G. Acheson, Assistant Secretary of State.↩
- The United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture held at Hot Springs,. Virginia, May 18–June 3, 1943. For correspondence on this meeting, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, pp. 820 ff.↩
- For correspondence on this meeting, see vol. ii , section entitled “The United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, July 1–22, 1944”.↩
- For correspondence on the absorption of Albania by Italy, see Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. ii, pp. 305 ff.↩
- Hugh G. Grant.↩
- The United States subsequently refused to recognize the puppet government established in Albania by Italy. As recently as April 1944 it had approved a decision by the Turkish Government to continue to withhold recognition. In telegram 249, April 12, 1944, 3 p.m., the Secretary of State informed the Consul General at Istanbul (Berry): “We can not see that any good purpose would be served by having in Turkey or elsewhere a representative of a puppet Albanian Government which is subservient to and collaborates with the Germans.” (875.01/562)↩
- See Department of State Bulletin, April 8, 1944, p. 315.↩