FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1946, VOLUME IV



Doe. No. 14 (P).
Memorandum on Annex 9 as Proposed by the United States Delega-
  tion in the Draft Peace Treaty, Concerning the Electricity Supply
  in the "Compartimnento" of Venezia Giulia

  1. The Italian Government has on many occasions put forward
the various reasons (political-economic-orographic-hydrographic, of
transport, etc.) whereby the Italo-Yugoslav frontier on the Upper and
Middle Isonzo, as proposed by the draft Treaty, should be modified.
  2. In particular it is to be pointed out that the generating stations of
Doblari and Plava on the Isonzo river and the other power stations
planned on that section of the river or on its tributaries have been
built or planned mainly for the needs of Trieste, its harbour, factories
and dense population. They are technically linked to the Italian elec-
tric system which can supply Trieste and the rest of Venezia Giulia
with the electricity required when the Isonzo river is short of water
(midsummer and winter) and, on the other hand, can very advan-
tageously absorb and make use of the surplus of electricity which the
power stations of the Isonzo can generate when the river is full of
water (spring and autumn).
  3. The portion of Venezia Giulia to be ceded to Yugoslavia does not
need, in the least, the electricity generated by Doblari and Plava as it
could not absorb the surplus energy mentioned in the previous para-
graph and, moreover, those two power stations could not possibly
supply electricity to that portion of Venezia Giulia, in winter and
summer, when the Isonzo is short of water, after having supplied
the needs of Trieste. In fact, as we have already explained, the
electricity generated by these power stations, in such periods is not
even sufficient for the needs of Trieste inasmuch as the latter must
be assisted by the Italian electric system. On the other hand the
portion of Venezia Giulia ceded to Yugoslavia can count upon large,
even immense water and thermo-electric resources (it is enough to
mention that each Yugoslav citizen disposes of an amount of coal
12 times larger than that of the Italian citizen) and in any case can,
if desired, continue to be supplied by the Italian system at the con-
ditions and for the time to be agreed upon by the parties concerned.
  4. Therefore, should the so-called "Free Territory of Trieste"
really be established, Italy, recognising the paramount importance
for Trieste and its territory of the power possibilities existing or
potentially available on the Middle and Upper Isonzo, would be ready
to grant to the "Free Territory of Trieste" as such, the following
concessions, which she would be ready to embody in the Treaty.
  a. The permanent concession of rights to the waters necessary for
the purpose of working existing and future generating stations.



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