875.6363/121: Telegram
The Chargé in Albania (Swift) to the Secretary of State11
[Received September 28—1:45 a.m.]
56. Discussion of the question of oil concessions has continued behind closed doors in the Albanian Parliament. At the afternoon session Tuesday the deputy from Scutari, one of the Opposition leaders, in a long speech compared the proposals of the Anglo-Persian Company with the more favorable terms of the American companies and proposed that the Parliament thoroughly discuss the American advantages. At yesterday’s secret session the leader of the Opposition, Bishop Noli, referred to the American, Italian, and French notes on the Open Door policy [and discussed?] the question of granting the oil concession from the economic, financial, and political points of view. In reply to his question as to whether the oil concession had political significance, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said “no”, and stated that there was no reason why the concession should not be discussed purely as an economic and financial matter.
There is no doubt that the Albanian Government, the British Minister, and the Anglo-Persian Company were convinced of the impossibility of making a party issue of the oil question, for to have [Page 394] done so might have caused a division in the Government party; and, alarmed by the logic and strength of the arguments used by the Opposition, decided that in the interests of the company discussion of the question by the Parliament should be postponed, and discussion will not be resumed during remainder of present session. The British Minister leaves today on a two months’ leave of absence.
- Summary telegraphed to the Ambassador in Great Britain as Department’s no. 267, Sept. 28.↩