740.0011 European War 1939/10329: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:36 p.m.]
1590. Following the visit of King Boris to Hitler the Bulgarian Prime Minister telegraphed the latter his country’s thanks for “the mighty assistance of allied Germany” in obtaining Bulgarian national unification. Ribbentrop72 replying to a similar telegram from the Bulgarian Foreign Minister referred to “the renewed brotherhood in arms” and stressing “common destiny” of the two peoples which “on the basis of the Three Power Pact form the foundation for the establishment of a just new order in Southeastern Europe”. Information available in Berlin indicates that the German forces have turned over to the Bulgarian Army for occupation the whole region east of the Struma in Greek Thrace and all of Southern Serbia to the Albanian border including the cities of Prilep, Risen [Prizren?], Bitolj, and Skoplje. The northern limit of Bulgarian occupation though not yet disclosed may approximate the line established by the treaty of St. Stefano [Page 307] in 1878.73 Unlike the other countries now occupying Yugoslavian territory it seems probable that Bulgaria has been guaranteed by Germany “permanent possessions” of districts now being occupied by its troops. German-Bulgarian trade discussions will take place next week to increase quotas and prices on exports in both directions.
- Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- For text, see Foreign Relations, 1878, p. 866, or British and Foreign State Papers, vol. lxix, p. 732.↩