Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII

868.00/7–1445: Telegram

The Ambassador in Greece ( MacVeagh ) to the Secretary of State

Athens , July 14, 1945—1 p.m.
[Received July 15—12:50 p.m.]

707. My despatch 1279, July 6.²⁸ FonOff has presented memorandum of Committee Foreign Affairs proposing Allied military occupation northern Epirus, including participation Greek forces, to end “intolerable persecution Greek minority” pending final consideration Greek claim to area peace conference. In covering note Greek Govt does not ask action, but states shares Committee’s views and invites serious attention US Govt urgency proposed solution. Am forwarding complete text airmail.²⁹

Similar note sent British and USSR. British Chargé and I feel Greek Govt fully aware proposal unrealistic present time, but obliged take cognizance local pressure. Terrorized refugees undoubtedly crossing Greek border recent months. Cromie³⁰ interviewed claimants to American citizenship among them early April this year (my despatch 891, April 18³¹). Actual situation southern Albania would seem need on-spot investigation. Connection urtel 671, July 11,³² Albanian refusal free circulation Allied observers possibly significant. No hindrance placed by Greek Govt to circulation observers investigating alleged analogous situation Greek Macedonia.

MacVeagh

[The Greek Ambassador handed a memorandum of July 16 to Loy W. Henderson, Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs, on July 25, 1945. In this memorandum the Greek government recalled that it had brought to the attention of Allied governments the suspicious actions of Marshal Tito, and now wished to mention his unjustified attack upon Greece in his speech of July 8, broadcast over the Belgrade radio.

In this speech Tito had accused the Greek government of being reactionary, had sought to interfere in Greek internal affairs, and had attempted to promote a policy of creating a Greek Macedonia problem which might lead to the eventual annexation of the port of Salonika. This in turn aroused Greek feelings of distrust against Yugoslavia. This action by Tito seemed to be encouraged by the recent signing of the Soviet-Yugoslav treaty,³⁴ and appeared to be related to other disturbing events such as renewed persecutions of Greeks in Northern Epirus, and with the revival of the question of the reopening of the Turkish Straits.³⁵ The Greek government saw in these simultaneous happenings the possibility of the revival of an expansion of Slavdom to the Aegean Sea as had been embodied in the Treaty of San Stefano,³⁶ but it trusted that the United States and the United Kingdom would be aware of Tito’s activities and would do whatever was necessary in the circumstances.]

28. Not printed.
29. Despatch 1327, July 14, not printed.
30. Leonard J. Cromie, Third Secretary of Embassy in Greece.
31. Not printed.
32. See footnote 18, p. 319.
34. Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Aid, and Postwar Cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Regency Council of Yugoslavia, signed at Moscow, April 11, 1945, Department of State, Documents and State Papers, vol. i, no. 4 (July 1948), p. 231; for interpretation of this treaty by the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Harriman), see telegrams 1099, April 9, 8 p.m., and 1156, April 13, 6 p.m., from Moscow, vol. v, pp. 1218 and 1223, respectively.
35. For documentation regarding interest of the United States concerning the Straits question, see pp. 1219 ff.
36. Preliminary Treaty of Peace between Russia and Turkey, signed at San Stefano, March 3, 1878; for original French text, see British and Foreign State Papers, vol. lxix, p. 732; for English translation of text, see Foreign Relations, 1878, p. 866.