841.2368/7–3047
The British Chargé (Balfour) to the Secretary of State
immediate
Ref: G58/—/47
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I have just been instructed by the Foreign Secretary to inform you that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom have decided that they must, on financial and manpower grounds, withdraw British troops from Greece1 and reduce those in Italy to the five thousand provided for by Article 5 of Annex VII of the Italian Treaty.
2. As regards Greece, you have of course for some months been aware of the intention of His Majesty’s Government to withdraw British troops. His Majesty’s Government consider it to be most unfortunate, but unavoidable, that the decision to implement this intention has had to come immediately after the Soviet veto in the Security Council. As regards Italy, Mr. Bevin and his colleagues naturally much regret any alteration this may entail in arrangements agreed between the United States and British Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Bevin hopes, however, that you will appreciate that, in view of the financial stringency in the United Kingdom, this course has become absolutely necessary.
3. No public announcement of the foregoing decision is being made. But Mr. Bevin naturally wants you to know of it at once.2
Yours sincerely,
- The Embassy in London informed the Department in telegram 4165, July 30, that British troops in Greece numbered 5,000, exclusive of personnel in service missions, and that approximately 9,000 troops had been withdrawn from Greece since the end of March 1947 (841.2368/7–3047).↩
- The Secretary of State sent a copy of the British note to President Truman on August 1. His transmitting memorandum stated in part: “To the extent that this proposed action is based on financial grounds, it can be considered in the light of my separate memorandum to you concerning the impending British dollar crisis.” (841.51/7–3047). It is anticipated that the latter memorandum, dated August 1, will be printed in volume iii .↩