Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume IV

London Embassy File: 800 Albania

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Representative in Albania (Jacobs)³³

[London,] October 4, 1945.

Participants:	Mr. Hayter, Chief of the Southern Dept.34
	Mr. Laskey, Desk Officer for Albania and Greece34
	Mr. Jacobs, U. S. Representative in Albania
	Mr. Cannon35

Mr. Cannon and I called this afternoon on Mr. Hayter at his suggestion to discuss the question of proceeding with the recognition of Albania. We stated that my report on conditions in Albania had been submitted to the Department which was now considering the question of early recognition, subject to pledges being given by the Albanian authorities to hold free elections in accordance with the provisions of the Crimea Declaration on Liberated Europe. We gave our reasons why we thought that such action was desirable, and should be proceeded with expeditiously, substantially to the effect that Albania was the only country in the Balkans where our relations with the authorities were not being conducted on any regularized basis and that those authorities were in complete control of the country and merited recognition subject to compliance with the principles of the Crimea Declaration. I added that I thought it dangerous to withhold an offer of recognition any longer as continued delay would likely drive the regime completely into a Soviet-Yugoslav combination, and besides there is a growing need to discuss certain problems with the Albanian authorities, such as the Italian treaty, which can not be discussed at the present time due to the unrecognized status of the present regime in control of Albania. The question of Greek territorial claims will of course also arise.

Mr. Hayter said that he thought the business of recognizing the present Albanian authorities should be proceeded with. He said, however, that there was some question in his mind whether the present moment was opportune in view of the manner in which the Conference of Foreign Ministers terminated.³⁶ Mr. Cannon and I replied that we felt that danger could be avoided by basing our present approach to the British and Soviet Governments on the fact that the Department had received and considered my report on conditions in Albania.

After Mr. Cannon gave Mr. Hayter the substance of a draft telegram which might go forward to the Department, Mr. Hayter commented that he considered it inadvisable to require the Albanian authorities to give pledges that they would hold free elections unless we on our part were fully prepared to see that such elections were held and to withdraw recognition if they were not conducted in a satisfactory manner. He went on to say that in his opinion, if we did not intend to supervise such elections, and he felt we should not, it would be better to accord recognition without requiring pledges of too detailed a character.

In view of the reports which have been submitted by the British representative in Albania, Brigadier Hodgson, and of the previous attitude of the Foreign Office which has been to delay recognition, this statement by Mr. Hayter came somewhat as a surprise. As our draft had been prepared with the previously known British attitude in mind, we said that we might well dispense with a detailed specification of the detailed pledges, although we still felt that we were in duty bound to make some reference in the note to the Albanian authorities to the principles laid down in the Crimea Declaration.

Mr. Laskey then remarked that, in view of the Greek claims to Northern Epirus, the Foreign Office might wish to make a reservation to the effect that, in according recognition, Great Britain did not recognize the present boundaries of Albania as final. We replied that we feared that the Soviet Government might object, and besides we did not think that such reservation need be made since we doubted whether the mere resumption of diplomatic relations carried with it per se recognition of Albania’s present boundaries. In any event the position of the United States with respect to claims for territorial changes arising out of the war was well known, namely, that claims for changes in boundaries existing prior to 1939 should be made a part of the general European settlement. We added that in this instance the Greek claims might later be considered by the Council of Foreign Ministers as provided at Potsdam or possibly by the United Nations Organization. Mr. Laskey did not press the point further, but he seemed to feel rather strongly that the Foreign Office might want to mention the Greek claims if for no other reason than to take cognizance of the Greek position. We did not, however, close the door to the inclusion of a reservation with respect to Albania’s frontier.

With regard to the mechanics for setting this matter in motion, we supposed that the Department of State, having received my report, might now instruct the American Embassies at London and Moscow to address further notes to the British and Soviet Foreign Offices, referring to previous notes, stating its proposal that the present regime in control of Albania be recognized.

In discussing the procedure Mr. Hayter mentioned that he had recently discussed this question with an officer of the French Embassy here and learned that the French were prepared to recognize the present regime in Albania without any reservations. We then discussed the question of whether France should be invited to concert its action with that of Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States but were all of the opinion, in view of the urgency of getting the matter of recognition over with quickly and of the Soviet objection to French participation in Balkan matters as indicated at the recent Conference, that it would be better not to bring up the matter of French participation when discussing the question at Moscow. We felt that if the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union decide to recognize, we can inform the French of the action which we propose to take and leave it to them to follow suit if they so desire. Mr. Hayter said that he would try to persuade the French Embassy to postpone action until we are ready.

J. E. Jacobs

33. Mr. Jacobs was in London from September 30 to October 24.
34. Of the British Foreign Office.
34. Of the British Foreign Office.
35. Cavendish W. Cannon, First Secretary and Consul at Lisbon, on detail as Political Adviser on the American delegation, London Council of Foreign Ministers.
36. The sessions of the Council of Foreign Ministers at London terminated in a deadlock over procedures. For the American Minutes of the final meeting, October 2, 1945, 3:10 p.m., see vol. ii, pp. 541 ff.