Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

501.BC Greece/1–2447: Telegram

The Secretary of State to Mr. Mark F. Ethridge, at Athens

secret

Washington, February 28, 1947—7 p. m.

244. For Ethridge. Following are further views in response to question of population exchange raised in urtel 92, Jan 24.¹ (See also Deptel 141, Feb 6²) While Dept would not want Ethridge to take initiative in matter, it would have no objection in principle to voluntary exchange if facts warrant it. However, should Commission and SC recommend an exchange of slavophone or any other minorities whose situation may be found to be a cause of border disturbances, Dept feels that SC should itself assume responsibility for insuring voluntary character of exchange. SC could do this by making specific provision for supervision of exchange in its recommendations to parties.

Reasons supporting SC’s assumption of responsibility are as follows: (1) To avoid possible inconsistency or conflict with system for protection of minorities which UN may later wish to establish SC should be in position to guarantee that exchange is in fact voluntary on part of individuals concerned; (2) League’s experience with Neuilly Convention of 1919 does not justify confidence that a genuinely voluntary exchange would result from a similar supervisory arrangement concluded by parties at present time; (3) Previous experience suggests that supervisory body should be directly responsible to SC and its composition should not include representatives of any of four states; (4) A subsidiary organ of SC, with terms of reference drawn by SC rather than by parties, would avoid major difficulties encountered by mixed Commission established under Neuilly Convention; (5) SC could give continuing commission described in paragraph 1(b) of Deptel 200, Feb 20, all necessary powers and responsibilities to enable it to supervise any exchange.

Marshall

1. Not printed; it reported the hope of Alexander Kyrou, Greek Liaison Representative with the Commission of Investigation, that the Commission “would recommend exchange of populations which would permit Greeks … to rid themselves of disloyal slavophone elements ‘comprising about half of total minority of 60,000’ in exchange for some 20,000 Greeks now in Bulgaria.” (501.BC Greece/1–2447)
2. Not printed.