875.6363/55: Telegram
The Minister in Albania ( Grant-Smith ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 3—2:45 a.m.]
20. This morning I communicated the purport of Department’s no. 10 to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. He expressed pleasure at being furnished in this way with material with which he could support his contentions in the Council of Ministers to which the views expressed in the Department’s telegram would be communicated this afternoon. I left a memorandum in English with him and a translation into Albanian will be in his hands tomorrow morning before the Cabinet meets. The moment was most opportune for the Department’s instruction to arrive as it enabled me authoritatively and formally to confirm many of the arguments which have been frequently and urgently brought to Albanian attention.
I took occasion yesterday to point out quite positively to the Prime Minister the critical position of the affairs of his Government and country, apparently with some effect. The Minister of Public Works expressed his approval to me of the proposals of the Standard Oil Company which that company had submitted signed; he pointed out to me that he could not sign the proposals until after the Anglo-Persian Company’s contract had been acted on by the National Assembly to which it had been submitted bearing the Minister’s signature but without his recommendation; he stated that he would oppose the approval of the contract. He intimated that should the Anglo-Persian’s contract be rejected the Standard Oil Company’s contract would be submitted next.
The Italian Chargé expects to make representations tomorrow. The arrival of my French colleague is awaited.