DAILY SUMMARY - 1946/11/23

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Daily Summary Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02931566
• Document Creation Date: September 11, 2018

Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2931566
APPROVED FOR RELEASE - Historical Programs Staff 30 August 2018
Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2931566
Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2931566
APPROVED FOR RELEASE - Historical Programs Staff 30 August 2018
GENERAL
g 3 Nov 1946
TIAL1 237
1. UK to protest Corfu mining incident--A British Foreign Office official
has told US Charge Gallman in London that the British Government (a)
has come to the "definite conclusion" that the Corfu mine field was
laid by the Albanian Government and (b) intends to present "an extremely
sharp note" to the Albanian Government demanding compensation and
assurances of no repetition. If the British do not receive a favorable
reply within ten days, they may present the matter to the Security Coun-
cil or the International Court of Justice.
2. Spain seeks US intervention with Belgium�The Spanish Minister in
Brussels has asked US Ambassador Kirk to intervene with the Belgian
Government to moderate its UN policy toward Spain, particularly on the
question of breaking relations. The Minister also declared that the Span-
ish Foreign Office "is completely and thoroughly on the side of the US
State Department." The US Military Attache, who knows the Spanish
Minister intimately, believes this "may be a significant hint of possible
willingness within the Spanish Government to sacrifice Franco in the in-
terests of better relations with Western Powers."
EUROPE
3. POLAND: Mikolajczyk's.plans concernimg elections�US Charge Keith
reports that Mikolajczyk's proposed "appeal" to the Yalta Powers con-
cerning pre-electoral violations (see Daily Summary of 19 November,
item 2) actually tft intended to be "an informative communication" set-
ting forth the situation which confronts his Peasant Party and the reple
sive measures being taken against it. Keith therefore recommends that
the State Department reconsider its decision to discourage Mikolajczyk
from sending the communication which, Keith believes, would not worsen
the US or Mikolajczyk's position and would provide needed evidence of
the Government's repressive actions. Mikolajczyk also told Keith that
no decision on a possible boycott of the elections would be made until 20
December at the earliest, and possibly not until 5 January.
Document No. 62/
NO CHANGE in Class*
0 DECLASSIFIED
Class. CHANGED TO: TS
DDA Memo, 4 Apr 77
Auth: DDA REG. 77 1763
Date :� 2 0 MAR 197*:
THE 0.1. HAS s5ECTION
TO THE DEC IFICATION OF
THIS DOC
Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2931566
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FIDENTIA0
4. RUMANIA: Governmez.e d the he elections--US Delegate
ACC Bucharest his iiibinifted "lust a few of the better authenticated and
obvious instances of flagrant pressure" by Government agents during
the 19 November elections. They include: (a) only 16 of the 125 US Mis-
sion civilian employees received voting cards; (b) despite a cordon of
armed Communists guarding all roads to the US Mission, 8,800 persons
slipped through the barrier on election day to report that they had been
denied the right to vote; (c) thousands of cases were reported "on good
authority" to the Mission of individuals who voted two or more times
and one man declared that he had voted six times; (d) many instances
were reported a Opposftion Parties being denied by "threats of force"
their legal right to maintain delegates at polling places to insure fair-
ness of voting; (e) the National Peasant Party headquarters was blockaded
by armed Communists and all persons therein prevented iron leaving to
vote; and (f) voting in many places was not secret.
5. ITALY: Sandujjtan control of DP's�Acting Secretary
Acheson has informed US Embassy Rome that, as a result of the recent
bombing of the UK Embassy at Rome and the '`Communique" alleging
Irguri Zvai Leumi responsibility, the UK proposes (a) to urge the Italian
Government to take necessary action to prevent irregularities in DP
camps, and (b) to ensure that vehicles and personnel of UNRRA and the
American Joint Distribution Committee are "plainly distinguishable"
in order to facilitate proper control by Italian authorities. Acheson has
instructed the US Embassy to avoid associating itself with the specific
British aspects of this problem but to urge the Italian Government to in-
crease its efforts to control DP's to prevent further acts of terrorism.
6 GREECE: Yugoslav complicity in bandit attacks--US Military Attache
Athens reports that US Military observers confirm reports that many
of the bands operating in northern Greece originate in Yugoslavia and
return with the cooperation of Yugoslavian officials. The MA further
believes that the bandits will attempt, probably unsuccessfully, to sever
Salonika-Athens land communications before winter.
UK reviews its military program�Embassy London has been in-
formed by the UK Foreign Office of its fears that an "Azerbaijan Area"
may be created in northern Greece and that the Cabinet is now review-
ing "what the British Government can do militarily over the coming
months."
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S ested rocedure on a I 4 al to UN--State Department has in-
formed the Gree Ambassador that, should the Greek Government decide
to bring its case before the United Nations, it would be well advised to
present the case to the Security Council and request the appointment of
a commission to conduct an on-the-spot investigation.
3.3(h)(2) 7. FRANCR. vigstv regarding Communist participation
informed Caffery of the Generds belief that the Commu-
nists ao not desire to head the next Government, but actually prefer to
participate in a broad coalition in which they can at once avoid isolation
and escape responsibility for the unpopular measures which the impend-
ing financial crisis will necessitate. By claiming the premiership now
they enhance their bargaining position with a view to obtaining Ministries
useful in furtherance of their program of infiltration. De Gaulle antici-
pates that the SociAlists, MRP, and Radical Socialists will join the Com-
munists in such a coalition, although he regards it as suicidal for them
to do so.
Caffery reports that a number of observers agree that, in any
case, the Communists would be unable to form a government. He believes
that they have more to gain by limited participation and further infiltra-
tion, in accordance with the tactics indicated above.
*se'
8. GERMANY: _Soviet banking measures to unification�According to
Acting Political Adviser Heath, a recent Army intelligence report indi-
cates that the Soviets have instructed the German presidents of provin-
cial and state banks in the Soviet sone to submit plans for the creation
of banks of issue in their sectors by, 5 December, in view of the "forth-
coming economic unity of Germany."
THE AMERICAS
9. ARGENTINA: Messersmith comments on Argentine r u_est--Messer-
smith, commenting on the Argentine Government s request for landing
privileges at Miami for a plane it is sending to the Mexican inauguration,
states that any obstacle placed in the way of such an unofficial visit to
an American port would be "resented by the whole Argentine people."
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Approved for Release: 2018/09/05 CO2931566