740.00119 Control (Italy)/5–2345: Telegram
Mr. Alexander C. Kirk, Political Adviser to the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater, to the Secretary of State
[Received May 23—5:02 p.m.]
2312. Our 2300, May 22, midnight.57 At a meeting this afternoon in SAC’s office he stated that after consultation with his Allied Military Govt advisers he wished to state his position as follows:
That he would not agree to Yugo officers taking part in AMG in areas in question, but that he would welcome a small Yugo mission being attached to Brit Eighth Army HQ in observer capacity.
He added that he would, however, agree to a Yugo detachment of about 2,000 officers and men occupying an area selected by himself west of line proposed to Tito by Gen Morgan (our 1960, May 5, midnight). Those men, of course, would be under SAC’s command and would be maintained by his administrative set up. In this connection he would not give this personnel access to rest of zone in question. Field Marshal Alexander stated that he would not permit his AMG to act through civil authorities which are already set up in that area. He stated that his AMG must be given the right to use whatever civil authorities it considered best in any particular place and to change administrative personnel whenever it liked. He would, of course, instruct his AMG to use Yugo civil admin wherever they were functioning satisfactorily.
SAC then asserted that we should insist that Tito be asked to return all non-Yugo residents in area who have been arrested or deported by Partisans and that restitution of all removed or confiscated property should be made. He also stated that he did not wish to take over Pola or the line of communication from Pola to Trieste and that he would need only use of port of Pola and anchorages on west coast of Istria.
[Page 1174]In short, SAC considers that his draft agreement which Gen Morgan presented to Tito (our 1960, May 5, midnight) would be adequate for his needs subject to points raised above.
SAC requested his Chief of Staff to prepare a draft telegram for him in foregoing sense to CCS, which has been done and will go forward this evening.
- Not printed.↩