Office of the Historian

875.01/7–1044: Telegram

The Secretary of Mission at Algiers (Lawton) to the Secretary of State

Algiers, July 10, 1944—3 p.m.
[Received July 11—9:58 a.m.]

2346. From Murphy. Balkan Air Force18 reports that Albanian situation has deteriorated during past 24 [hours?]. Situation is résuméed as follows:

Kupi19 is willing to meet LNC representatives under Allied auspices and provided British Liaison Officers conduct negotiations. Kupi insists that he should be recognized by LNC as representative of [Page 274] Movement of Legality. Liaison Officer reports that Kupi is showing sincere desire to compromise and avert civil war, but it is thought force majeure probably contributes to this belated repentance.

LNC commander first division reported as maintaining intransigent attitude determined to fight Kupi as a traitor. President of LNC20 indicates that the first division cannot be stopped. He is consulting with his council and will probably take the line that LNC have waited too long for Kupi to fight and that the latter is now an obstacle to the progress of LNC to the north. Balkan Air Command states that Major Smith21 has been prevented by weather from taking letters to Kupi and LNC and from using such influence as he may have been able to exercise in bringing the parties together.22 Chances of reconciliation now appear slight.

British Liaison Officers on both sides are instructed to continue their efforts to bring about an understanding and prevent civil war from spreading. If Kupi and his forces are defeated by LNC, which seems possible, British Liaison Forces are instructed to endeavor to obtain best possible terms for future action against Germans. Embargo on supplies to LNC continues and this weapon will be used in an effort to persuade LNC to behave.23

A late telegram received states that the Partisans have advanced further north with only slight fighting and no resistance elsewhere.

Repeated to Cairo for MacVeagh as AmEmBalk number 22. [Murphy.]

Lawton
  1. Allied headquarters under British command located in Bari, Italy, responsible for the planning and execution of all air, sea, land, and special operations om and across the Dalmatian coast.↩
  2. Abas Kupi, leader of the Movement of Legality, the Albanian political movement pledged to the restoration of King Zog.↩
  3. Presumably, the reference here is to Col. Gen. Enver Hoxha, Commander of the Albanian National Liberation Army (ANLA) and President of the Anti-Fascist Committee of National Liberation, the executive organ of the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation with the attributes of a provisional government. Both the Council and the Committee were created by the convention of Albanian national liberation forces held at Permet (Permeti) in May 1944.↩
  4. Presumably a British Liaison Officer in Albania.↩
  5. Details of this démarche have not been found in the Department files. However, the Secretary of Mission at Algiers reported in telegram 2277, July 5, 7 p.m., that the Commander in Chief of the Balkan Air Forces was about to make an effort to arrange for representatives of the National Liberation Movement and Kupi to come to Bari for conversations (875.01/7–544).↩
  6. In telegram 2277, July 5. 7 p.m., Mr. Lawton reported that the British Liaison Officer at National Liberation Movement Headquarters had been instructed to warn the Partisans that if arms were used for civil war all supplies would be cancelled (875.01/7–544).↩