640.0031 Danube/175
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Rogers) of a Conversation With the Bulgarian Minister (Radeff)
In a conversation with the Bulgarian Minister in connection with the Economic Conference,9 he said he hoped the Conference would work out a solution of the Danubian situation; that things were progressively bad in Bulgaria and the other Danubian states; that if no solution of the economic problems was reached the Danubian states would be driven to turn to Germany for an economic arrangement and he thought this unfortunate. It would make the great weight of Germany felt not merely in economic but in political phases in Eastern Europe, build up her strength, lead to her domination, and increase the instability of the political balance in Europe. The turn to Germany for relief was natural because Great Britain was preoccupied at home and endeavoring more and more to keep out of European entanglements, and France was in such economic distress that she was forced to cease support of Rumania and her other Eastern European associates. He felt the United States was not disposed to waive her treaty provisions to strengthen the economic position of Germany, but she could and should waive them for a readjustment of Eastern Europe if detached from any large power.