Evening star., 1946-08-06
Greeks Bitterly Fight
Albania S Application
For U. n. Membership
by the ksseeio.ed Press

NEW YORK, Aug. 6.-Albania's s
Soviet-supported bid for member
ship In the United Nations was bit
terly opposed today by Greece, which
charged that Albania could not
qualify In the role of a peace-loving
state as required by the U. N. char
ter.
The application remained under
the critical examination of the Sc
curity Councils Membership Com
mlttee, meeting in closed session
today, with prospects that it would
bring about another sharp conflict
between Russia and the western
powers.
Russia and Poland were reported
backing Albania's bid without quail
if1cation. The United States and
Great Britain reserved judgment,
although both have levied sharp
criticism at the regime OF Premier
Enver Hoxha.
An American delegation spokes-
man said Premier Hoxha had re-
fused to give the United States as
surance that his Peoples Republic
would honor treaties negotiated be-
tween the United States and the
previous Albanian government be-
fore the war, thus raising a ques-
ton as to Premier Hoxha's readi-
ness to accept the obligations of
U. NJ membership.
Britain also questioned the peace
loving qualities of Albania on several
counts.
Recall Warship Incident.
Details of the American and Brit
1Sh statements before yesterdays
closed committee meeting were lack
ing, but it was recalled that the
British Foreign Office has declared
its dissatisfaction with an Albanian
explanation Of an incident in which
Albanian shore batteries fired on
TWO British warships in the Adriatic
last May.
The Albanians explained Foreign
ONCE spokesman said in London
some time ago, that they failed to
recognize the ships as British.
The Greeks last night submitted
4 long memorandum urging the
Membership Committee to postpone
action on the Albanian application
until potentially explosive Greek
Albanian border dispute is settled.
They based their case on Albania S
wartime role as satellite of Fascist
Italy and the alleged persecution
Of Greeks under the present Hoxha
regime.
The Greeks said these factors con-
stitute "an overriding reason for
postponing any consideration of the
application until the Greek
Albanian relations and Greek terri
torial claims on Northern Epirus
have received due consideration from
the Paris Peace Conference -"
The Greek claims to Northern
Epirus have been laid before the
Paris Conference. The disputed
territory is vitality important in the
control of entry into the Adriatic.
Greeks Review Pro-Italian Role.
The Greek memorandum reviewed
the pro-Italian role of Albania after
Mussolini's 1899 Good Friday in
vasion, discounted the "much-ad-
yertised pro-Allied underground
movement in Albania (which) began
when the Axis started being beaten
in 1943." and charged that at least
81 frontier incidents had occurred
since early 1916, climaxed by An at
tack in force on July 7 against
Greek outpost.
THE persecution of the Greek
population was continued under the |
present regime OF Enver Hoxha," the |
Greeks said.
An unaccredited spokesman for
Albania, DR.. Ali Kuci, who was a |
leader in the wartime underground
resistance movement, said the Greek
territorial claims were without |
foundation and that "the Greeks
are waging war of nerves only to
mislead world opinion and satisfy
their imperialistic designs"
After four hours debate yester-
day on Albania, the committee
named a subcommittee from the
Australian, Egyptian and Polish del
egations to draft list of questions
to submit to the Albanian govern
ment, whose representative here is
Tux Jakeva, minister without port
folios
Other membership applications to
be considered are from Siam, Ice
land, Fire, Portugal, Outer Mon
solia. Afghanistan and Trans-Jor-