740.0011 EW (Peace)/8–1247: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
2628. 1. There follows translation of Soviet note No. 312 dated August 11, regarding peace treaty ratification received this morning:
“…1 And with reference to the Embassy’s note No. 589 of June 26, 1947, has the honor to inform the Embassy that the Soviet Government on July 21, 1947, sent a reply to the British Government in connection with its proposal for the simultaneous deposit of ratifications of the Italian and Balkan treaties.
“In its reply the Soviet Government stated that it shares the British Government’s opinion with regard to the undesirability of postponing the entry into force of the peace treaties with Italy, Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland. However, at the present time the fixing of any definite date for the entry into force of these treaties appears premature.
“The Soviet Government stated also that it considers it essential that the entry into force of the peace treaties with Italy, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and Finland, which were drawn up and discussed at the Paris peace conference simultaneously should be timed for one definite moment for all the treaties referred to.
“In this connection the Soviet Government believes that it would be incorrect to postpone the entry into force of the peace treaty with regard to Italy alone until the ratification of this treaty by Italy herself [Page 559] has been completed, as is proposed by the British Government, and proposes for its part that the same procedure should be adopted also with regard to Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland.
“Furthermore the Soviet Government stated that when those conditions exist it will be ready in agreement with the Government of Great Britain, France and the US to appoint a definite date for the simultaneous deposit of the instruments of ratification by all the appropriate allied powers upon whom the entry into force of the above-mentioned peace treaties depends.
“In what concerns the ratification by Yugoslavia of the Italian treaty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs does not have any information which would permit of the assumption that Yugoslavia intends not to ratify the treaty.”
2. Embassy note No. 589 June 26 referred to above communicated to Soviet Government substance of Deptel 1374 June 24.2
3. French Embassy Moscow received similar note from Soviet Government dated August 4 and on August 8 replied along lines of recent British démarche (August 4).
- Omission indicated in source text.↩
- In this telegraphic instruction it was explained that the Department had accepted the British proposal for the simultaneous deposit of ratifications for the Italian and Balkan treaties, but had pointed out that if the Italian treaty were to come into force in accordance with Article 90 prior to Yugoslavia’s deposit of ratification, it would be impossible to carry out the cessions of territory in Venezia Giulia to Yugoslavia because of the provisions of Article 89. The Department’s view was that the status quo in Venezia Giulia would have to continue pending ratification by Yugoslavia. (740.0011 EW (Peace)/6–1947)↩