875.00/4–2845
The President of the Balli Kombëtar (Frashëri), the Chairman of the Shkodra Committee of the Balli Kombëtar (Kurti), and the Secretary General of the Balli Kombëtar (Andoni) to the Secretary of State 74
Your Excellency: Albania has not been invited to the San Francisco Conference of the United Nations. We have strong reason to believe that the cause for this particular treatment of a small but heroic nation is that the internal situation in Albania remains obscure and chaotic due to the fact that power there has been usurped by the extremists, who call themselves “the National Liberation Movement”. Owing to this situation, an Allied Military Mission is sent to Albania for the purpose of investigation. The Albanian Nationalists have [Page 22] heartily welcomed the appointment of this Mission, which they are sure will bring to light the true nature of things.
If the self-styled “democratic and people’s government” of Tirana, opposed by the people and not recognized by the Allies, has, in addition to other things, caused to Albania this one more misfortune, namely, to be ostracized by her comrades-in-arms assembling in the San Francisco Conference, then the Albanian Nationalists, who gave to their country and to the Allied cause thousands of martyrs, express the desire to make themselves heard by humbly submitting to Your Excellency this memorandum, which will throw more light on the situation in Albania and on the wishes of the Albanian people, and will thus help to supplement the investigation carried out by the Allied Military Mission in our country.
. . . . . . .
III
We have presented here a brief historical sketch of our struggle, our ideals and our rights: the sad history of our country. We presented it here, because the fate of Albania does not concern only Albania, our plight is not ours alone. The Allies that with so much sacrifice and bravery are fighting those who are responsible for this devastating war, can not stand by as simple spectators and neither can they very well withdraw in face of the arrogance, aggression and tyranny that are now ruling in liberated Albania. Because the people must have no doubts about the sanctity and purity of the cause of freedom, must not be made to ask: “Why was all this blood shed?”, “Why do these conferences ever meet?”.
We Albanian Nationalists, who have full confidence in the good will of the Democracies and in the triumph of justice and fraternity, take courage to make the following suggestions to the Government of the United States of America, hoping that this memorandum will help the Allied Military Mission in its task of investigation in Albania:
- 1.
- To impose a change of regime in Albania so that a democratic government could be formed through free elections, with the participation of all parties and organizations that have worked for the freedom and independence of the country.
- 2.
- Albania should fully have the benefit of the four freedoms of the Atlantic Charter, which the Albanian people considers to be four beacons of hope for those who live in jail, terror and suffering.
- 3.
- At a convenient time after the armistice to have an impartial and fair plebiscite under Allied control for the regions that belong to us ethnographically, because Albania should not be divided in two for the sake of imperialism and injustice.
- 4.
- A democratically governed Albania should enjoy all the help and aid promised by the United Nations, like a worthy partner in the common struggle. She should be represented wherever her interests [Page 23] and those of the United Nations require it and she should take part as a member of the Institution of World Security.
The above do we ask for and on behalf of the sacrificed Albanian people, in the name of burned down Albania and on behalf of a nation which has suffered martyrdom for independence and true freedom. Respectfully
Ex-Minister of Albania to France
Ex-Minister of Albania to Greece
President of Balli Kombëtar
Ex-Minister of Albania to the League of Nations
Ex-Minister of Albania in London
Chairmom Shkodra Committee of Balli Kombëtar
Secretary General of Balli Kombëtar
- Transmitted to the Department in despatch 1153, April 28, from Caserta, not printed.↩