Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/4926: Telegram

The Minister in Bulgaria (Earle) to the Secretary of State

Sofia, July 30, 1940—7 p.m.
[Received July 31—12:51 a.m.]

96. I had a long conversation with the Foreign Minister today following his return yesterday from the conference with Hitler and Von Ribbentrop.78

Mr. Popoff said Hitler looked well and was full of energy.

The only subject discussed was the Bulgarian claim to southern Dobrudja which Mr. Popoff said, in the strictest confidence for my Government, Hitler admitted was entirely just.

The Kingdom of Rumania, Mr. Popoff said, had asked for a conference with Hitler to receive either help or counsel.

Hitler said that he had advised the Rumanian delegates to negotiate directly with Hungary and Bulgaria with regard to territorial restoration to these countries. This, he said, Rumania had agreed to do. Also that the settlement with Bulgaria was comparatively simple while that with Hungary was very complex. Mr. Popoff said Bulgaria would now await the Rumanian invitation for negotiations between the two countries.79

He concluded by saying Hitler’s attitude toward Bulgaria was one of the greatest cordiality to “an unfortunate brother-in-arms.”

Earle
  1. The conference had taken place at Salzburg, July 26–28; records of these conversations are printed in Documents on German Foreign Policy, 1918–1945, series D, vol. x, pp. 332–341.↩
  2. The negotiations were begun at Craiova, Rumania, on August 15.↩