Evening star., 1940-12-27

State Department Says
Political Charges Held
Up AIbonio's Recognition
The State Department disclosed
today that it had withheld recog-
milton of government formed by
the now-exiled King Zog of Albania
in 1925 until he had moved to punish
the actual murderers OF two Ameri-
cans-in whose Staying he had been
implicated by political charges"
Publication of two volumes of
documents pertaining to American
foreign relations in the period of
disarmament Is years ago also re-
vealed friendly controversy be-
tween the United States and France
over what to call the Soviet govern
ment of Russia, and the failure of
hopes for European security
disarmament pact.
King Zog-then known as Ahmet
Zogu c'The Birdo-was the heredi-
tary chieftain of 13 Albanian tribes
whose ancestors had fought the
Turks for 500 years. When Allied
armies drove the Turks from
Europe, The Bird" set himself up
as feudal dictator of the World
War-born nation.
Recognition Held Up.
In 1925, Ulysses Grant-Smith, the
American Minister in Albania, re-
ported that zogu, who then had set
up a government with himself as
Prime Minister, had been SEN
fenced by an Albanian court "as
one of those responsible" for the
Staying of two Americans. The
Minister asked instructions about
recognition.
Charles Evans Hughes, then Sec
retary of State and now Chief JUS
tice, replied that he would not
withhold recognition indefinitely on
that account because review of
the records showed political rea-
sons" for the charges. Subsequent
correspondence brought assurances
from Zogu that he would clear his
name by pressing prosecution OF
the actual murderers, after which
his government was recognized by
the United States.
Robert L. Coleman and George B.
De Long We're the American citizens
who had been slain by bandits in
the rocky wilds of Albania on April
6, 1924.
Ahmet Zogu later changed his
name to Zog, was elected President
and later proclaimed King of AL
bania. A Hungarian-American girl,
daughter of Count Julius Macy -Ap-
ponyi and Mrs. Gladys Stewart Gia-
rult of Virginia ancestry, became his
bride and fed with him, and theiI
2-day-old son, when Italy conquered
Albania in 1899.
The French Debate.
The Franco-Amercan controversy
over the proper designation of Rus
sia arose from a desire by France
and some other nations for Russias
adherence to treaty recognizing
Norway's claims to sovereignty over
Spltzbergen, a mountainous group OF
islands about midway between Nor
way and the North Pole.
Russia was left out when the
treaty was negotiated in 1920 be-
cause the Soviet government had
not been generally recognized. The
United States appeared willing for
Russia to adhere to the treaty in
1925 if suitable wording could be
found to make it clear that this did
not involve American recognition of
the Soviet.
The State Department suggested
that the unrecognized government
be referred to as the regime now
functioning in Russia and known
as the Union of Soviet Socialistic Re-
publics." France complained that
this designation was in somewhat
disparaging sense" which might not
be agreeable to those nations which
recognized the Soviet.
Debate Is Settled.
France proposed calling it the
federation designated by the name
of the U. S. S. R. The United
States countered with suggestion
for substituting the word entity
for federation; France proposed
political organism" and this coun-.
try proposed political organization"
That was agreeable, but few
months later Frank B. Kellogg sue
ceeded Charles Evans Hughes as
Secretary of State and decided that
since the rights of Russian nationals
were safeguarded in the original
Spitzbergen treaty, the adherence OF
the regime now functioning in
Russia" was not necessary. The
Soviet finally signed the treaty in
1885, after recognition by this
Government.
The publication of the 1925 docu-
ments opened with note from the
Secretary of the Navy informing the
Secretary of State of completion OF
the work of scrapping vessels re-
ouired under the 1922 treaty limit
ing naval armament.
Proposals for another disarma-
ment conference we're considered
during the year, but finally dropped
after Frances insistknce that she
could not disarm further without Sc
curity guarantees. This Govern
ment would have nothing to do with
such security pacts.