Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Paris Peace Conference: Proceedings, Volume III

CFM Files

United States Delegation Journal

August 21, 1946, 10 a.m.

USDel (PC) (Journal) 21

The Chairman (Mr. Bevin) called on General Enver Hoxha, President [Prime Minister] of Albania, to present the views of his Government on the Draft Peace Treaty with Italy. General Hoxha gave an account of Albania’s efforts during the war against the Italian and German occupants of his country. He said that this record entitled Albania to be considered as an Allied state and to sit at the Paris Conference on the same basis as the 21 nations.

General Hoxha took the occasion to deny certain statements which had been made at Conference by M. Tsaldaris. General Hoxha stated that Albania had not been at war with Greece or guilty of aggression against Greece. The Albanian people had fought alongside the Greek people against the Axis enemies and against both Albanian and Greek quislings. He denounced Greek claims to southern Albania and the plans of M. Tsaldaris for the partition of Albania; he declared Albania’s present frontiers to be sacred and inviolable.

On the subject of the Italian Peace Treaty, General Hoxha said that Albania would demand that the armed forces to be left Italy be reduced even further than was contemplated in the Draft Treaty; that the Treaty fix the amount of reparation due to Albania and the means of payment. Albania would also have proposals to make concerning the return of war criminals, restitution, and other questions, and would put forward these proposals in detail for examination. He proposed, finally, since the Treaty did involve rights and obligations on Albania’s part and in its present form made no provision for signature by Albania, the following amendment: “Article 26 a. With respect to the application of this Treaty, Albania is considered as an Associated Power.”³⁴

Dr. Alfonso de Rosenzweig-Diaz presented the views of the Mexican Government on the Draft Peace Treaty with Italy. Mexico regretted the decision of the Moscow Conference which had excluded it from membership in the present Conference. Since Mexico had signed the United Nations Declaration and had participated in the war, it had a right to participate in making the peace.

Dr. Rosenzweig stated the view of his Government that the peace settlement must be based upon principle and upon the moral conscience of mankind; it must be an organic peace based on international justice and law, not a purely mechanical peace. With specific reference to the Treaty with Italy, he said that Mexico had no claims to put forward except those which had resulted from direct damage to Mexican property and interests by Italian action. With respect to the territorial clauses, the Mexican Government believed that the solutions found must satisfy the legitimate aspirations of the parties directly concerned. Regarding the disposition of the Italian colonies, Mexico adhered to the principle of trusteeship set forth in the Charter of the United Nations.³⁵

34. For text of the Memorandum Submitted by the Albanian Government on the Draft Peace Treaty with Italy, C.P. (Gen) Doc. 7, August 30, 1946, see vol. iv, p. 799.
35. See the Memorandum Submitted by the Mexican Delegation on the Draft Peace Treaty With Italy, C.P.(Gen) Doc. 8, August 30, 1946, Paris Peace Conference, 1946, p. 335.