File No. 763.72119/1982
The Consul General at Saloniki ( Horton ) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 29, 2.59 p.m.]
Mr. Archibald Walker, attached to Legation of the United States at Sophia, arrived in town today with an autograph letter from the United States Consul General D. I. Murphy addressed to General d’Espérey, commander in chief the Allied armies on this front, begging him to transmit to Washington, D. C., an inclosed cable embodying ah official request of the Bulgarian Royal Government praying mediation of the United States between Bulgaria and the Entente Powers for granting armistice with the object of discussing separate peace. Territorial questions to be settled at the general peace Conference. General d’Espérey informed Walker that the cable has been sent today noon to Premier Clemenceau to be handed to our Ambassador at Paris. Cable could not be sent via Austria.
Bulgarian commissioners General Lukoff, commander of the Second Bulgarian Army, Liapcheff, Minister of Finance and the chairman of the commission, and Radeff, Minister Plenipotentiary to Bertie and Bucharest, have arrived at the British Army headquarters and will be here tonight, 7 o’clock p.m., to discuss armistice. Walker says Liapcheff has full power to conclude armistice, peace and an alliance with Entente.
It is probable that the King will be asked to abdicate and Crown Prince Boris succeed. Walker says Bulgarian harvest the worst in history, no rain for months, no cotton and no clothing in the country, no shoes, food at unobtainable prices, much sickness including typhus. Growing anger against the German Army, who have led country into war and stripped it, has reached the climax.
Victorious advance the Allied armies continuing with diminishing resistance. General d’Espérey with whom I have spent a great part of the day assures me that he will keep me informed as to full details and I shall not fail to make a report to the Department promptly by cable. Walker leaves tomorrow for Sophia, 9 a.m.