740.00119 Council/7–2746: Telegram

The Deputy Director, Office of European Affairs (Hickerson), to the Director, Office of European Affairs (Matthews), in Paris

secret
us urgent

3697. Secdel 529. For Matthews44 from Hickerson. I have been unhappy for some time about situation of Jacobs’ Mission in Albania. We have repeatedly told Albanians we expect them to reaffirm their continued adherence to treaties and agreements enforced [in force?] between us in 1939 and our Mission has remained in Albania without satisfactory response to this request or any further action on our part since February. Jacobs and his staff have, as you know, received scant consideration from Albanians. Jacobs has complained on numerous occasions about his treatment.

You will recall that we have discussed this situation in EUR and in the past it was your feeling that it was advisable for us to maintain some representation in Albania for purpose of reporting, chiefly military information. Jacobs’ sources of information seem to be progressively drying up.

It seems to me that Jacobs’ remaining in Albania is both futile and undignified and I do not believe that the present small trickle of information which he is able to report to us justifies keeping him there.

The foregoing paragraphs are the summary of an airmail letter which had been prepared for my signature to consult you before making a recommendation to the Secretary about withdrawing Jacobs. [Page 22] In the last 24 hours there have been two developments which caused me to telegraph rather than write you:

1.
FE and Hilldring45 have just told me that they would like to propose Jacobs’ name to the President as U.S. Political Adviser in Korea with the personal rank of Minister. They need urgently a top-flight Officer with extensive Far Eastern experience and experience in dealing with the Russians and Jacobs is their first choice.
2.
We received yesterday an airgram and personal letter from Jacobs asking for home leave this summer or early autumn.

I favor our telling Hilldring that EUR has no objection to his sending a telegram to Jacobs offering him Korea assignment. Do you agree?

We could withdraw the entire Mission if Jacobs leaves or withdraw only Jacobs leaving Fultz in charge if he is willing to stay; if Fultz is not willing to remain as we understand may be the case we could use Henderson who is going from Rome to Tirana. My own inclination would be to withdraw the whole Mission but I do not have strong views on this. What are your views?46

[
Hickerson
]
  1. Matthews was serving as a political adviser on the United States delegation to the Paris Peace Conference.
  2. John H. Hilldring, Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas.
  3. In telegram 3688, Delsec 750, July 28, 1946, from Paris, Matthews replied as follows: “I agree to Jacobs’ reassignment to Korea, reference your Secdel 529. I believe it better for time being to keep foot in the door with either Fultz or Henderson.” (740.00119 Council/7–2846) Harry T. Fultz and George D. Henderson were members of the United States Informal Mission in Albania.