Ext 6116/46(S) 'Secret Weekly Political Intelligence Summaries, nos 356-416, August 1946-November 1947' [‎327r] (667/978)

15
The Yugoslav press has expressed great
indignation at the American refusal to
permit the opening of a branch of the
Yugoslav travel agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Putnik, in New
York, on the ground that the U.S. repre
sentatives in Yugoslavia would not be able
to^nsure sufficient protection to American
cmzens visiting the country. In fact, they
are not able to protect themselves, it seems,
since the U.S. Charge d’Affaires and his
staff were recently detained at Pec until
they had surrendered their cameras.
Nevertheless, a formal apology has been
forthcoming.
The Greek Minister in Belgrade has
been subjected to insulting treatment and
the Military Attache has been declared
persona non grata.
Yugoslav-American talks on the question
of American property in Yugoslavia began
in Belgrade on May 19th. A French-
Yugoslav Trade Agreement was initialled
in Paris on the 14th May.
Greece
Discussions have continued about Mr.
Ethridge’s proposals on a “ broader
amnesty ” to be granted by the Greek
Government. No official statement has yet
been made, but M. Tsaldaris, the Foreign
Minister, has told the Press that he and the
U.S. Ambassador in Athens have agreed
that decisions about a broader amnesty
shall be postponed until the Security
Council has taken action on the report of
the Frontier Commission. Meanwhile the
Government has extended the time-limit of
the amnesty, which expired on the 31st
March.
The Greek press and radio have on
several occasions commented impatiently on
the fact that the Commission, “ lacking the
courage to face the truth,” have not yet
finished drafting their report in Geneva.
Most members of the rearguard section,
however, have now returned to Salonica,
and it is understood that they will begin
by examining the recent case of a band
from Yugoslavia which attacked the
frontier post at Mikrolimni in Western
Macedonia. The Athens press reports
that large numbers of bandits are concen
trated in the Monastir region of Yugo
slavia and are ready to cross the frontier
into Greece.
Twenty-one Populist and National
Liberal Members of Parliament tabled a
motion on the 14th May to outlaw the
Communist party on the ground that it had
never ceased instigating criminal acts
throughout the country. On the following
day, however, it was announced that the
signatories had tabled the motion against
the instructions of their party leaders, and
the Government persuaded them that a
debate on the subject would be inopportune.
The motion was, therefore, postponed
indefinitely.
It has now been reported that on the 6th
May the EAM branch in Macedonia/
Thrace published an appeal to all organi
sations, secular and religious, in that
region to summon a conference “ for the
exchange of views and finding of drastic
remedies which will save the nation from
destruction and stop the bloodshed and
civil war.”
To mark the passing of the Aid to Greece
Bill, Mr. Marshall, Assistant Secretary
Benton and Senator Vandenberg have
broadcast to Greece, and King Paul has
broadcast a message of gratitude to the
American people.
During the week M. Stratos, Minister of
War, tendered his resignation to the
Premier because he was not consulted by
the Inner Cabinet when they appointed
Brigadier Tzigantes as Greek representa
tive at Nuremberg. It was immediately
decided that all the actions of the Inner
Cabinet must receive the approval of the
full Cabinet, and the question of the
Nuremberg appointment was referred back
to M. Stratos for discussion with the
General Staff. It is believed that he will
now withdraw his resignation.
Albania
A brief but momentous announcement
was made by the official Albanian telegraph
service on the 14th May in these words :—
‘ £ On the proposal of the Head of the
Government, the Praesidium of the People’s
Assembly has dismissed from office the
Minister of National Education. Professor
Sejfullah Malleshova, for incapacity and
negligence in the performance of his duties.
Dr. Manol Konomi, Minister of Justice,
has temporarily assumed the duties of the
Minister of National Education.”
Whether it is mere personal jealousy or
something more fundamental which has led
to this unexpected development it is as yet
impossible to say, but in making the change
Enver Hoxha is definitely “ dropping the
pilot.” Malleshova has been a leading
light of the extreme Left in Albania ever
since 1923, when Hoxha was a boy of 15
and his new lieutenant Xoxe was only 12.
In that year and the next he was chief
secretary to the then Prime Minister,
Bishop Fan Noli, who led the old Albanian
Democratic Party in opposition to King
Zog. (The Bishop in those days a stormy
petrel but now not so young as he was—