740.0011E.W./8–1644: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser on the Staff of the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater (Murphy)
73. The negotiations with the Yugoslavs leading to the agreement reported in your 147 August 1643 indicate that the Yugoslavs are taking it for granted that the Italian province of Venezia Giulia, which includes the cities of Trieste and Gorizia as well as the Istrian peninsula, will be ceded to Yugoslavia.
While the Allied Forces’ representatives must of course take into account the realities of the situation as regards the local authorities actually in control of the region or likely to be first on the ground, this agreement may be interpreted as supporting the Yugoslav claim. It is not the position of this Government, nor of the British Government so far as we know, that the Yugoslav claim to a part or all of this region should be acknowledged at this stage. You should therefore keep in mind the Department’s views as indicated very briefly in its 20 of August 9, 5 p.m.44 and the detailed discussion of the territorial question as regards the Italian territory claimed by Yugoslavia which will be found in the handbook of research documents which was sent to you for your secret information.
- Not printed; it reported that the Supreme Allied Commander reached agreement with Marshal Tito that when the Allies occupied northern Italy, Austria or Hungary, Marshal Tito would make available to them the necessary lines of communication. Under this plan the Allies would have control of Trieste, but would establish Allied Military Government west of the 1930 Italo-Yugoslav frontier.↩
- Not printed; it expressed the Department’s view that Allied Military Government should be extended to all metropolitan Italian territory within the 1939 frontiers. Any other procedure would prejudice the final disposition of territories and settlement of the frontiers (740.00119 Control [Italy]/8–944).↩