875.01/9–1944: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:20 p.m.]
7733. A Foreign Office official today made the following remarks about Albania:
Local conflicts already have taken place between LNC and Kupi, the former having infiltrated into the territory where Kupi has his forces. The latter has repeatedly asked the Allies for armaments to be used, as he said, against the Germans. However, it is not believed in Allied circles that these armaments would be used for this purpose, and that they would be turned on the LNC. Kupi, who has never been positively accused of collaboration with the Germans, now has attracted to his following certain other Albanian nationalist elements, including some of the German puppets.
The LNC is, of course, very Left in its tendencies and bears certain resemblances to the Greek EAM.32 There are a number of moderate [Page 279] Socialists included in the LNC, but they do not guide its policies. The leader, Colonel General Hoxha, is pretty far to the Left. Kupi has only about 2000 armed followers, whereas the LNC has many times that number and in an actual fight the latter would undoubtedly eliminate Kupi.
Insofar as King Zog is concerned, Kupi represents his interests. The only other Zogist elements are apparently certain tribal groups in the north. Strangely enough, according to the Foreign Office official, while Zog’s prestige has been on the decline in Albania, it has increased considerably in Albanian circles outside the country.
The possible future, said the Foreign Office official, for a liberated Albania is that the LNC will take over the country. However should it not modify its extreme Leftist tendencies, it probably would not be able to maintain itself in power for very long, as it is believed that there is scarcely any Communist feeling in Albania. If the LNC should remain far to the Left there will probably be some sort of civil war and Zog might be able to stage a comeback. Whatever one may say or feel about Zog, said the Foreign Office, he probably is the only man with the necessary qualities of leadership who has emerged from the tangled political scene in Albania and at the same time he is the leader of a powerful tribe and a man of the people.
- National Liberation Front (Ethnikon Apeleftherotikon Metopon), Communist-controlled resistance organization in Greece.↩