740.0011 European War 1939/10542
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Bulgarian Minister74 called to see me this morning. The Minister said that he had been deeply shocked to learn of the proclamation issued by the President75 declaring that a state of war existed between Bulgaria and Yugoslavia as a result of the unjustified invasion of Yugoslav territory by Bulgaria, and that he was confident that the issuance of this proclamation would create a very painful effect upon the Bulgarian Government and upon the Bulgarian people. He stated that the Yugoslav territory occupied by Bulgarian forces and the Greek territory occupied by Bulgarian forces had been populated by a large majority of Bulgarians and that the occupation had been undertaken by his Government because of the fact that as a result of the German invasion there existed no local authorities and that owing to the acute feeling of hostility existing, the Bulgarian Government had felt it necessary to take these steps in order to assure the safety, and to protect the lives, of these Bulgarian-speaking persons.
I replied to the Minister that over a period of several years I had had the opportunity of talking with him and that from the date of our first conversation he had always stoutly maintained to me that Bulgaria would never resort to force to remedy her territorial grievances existing as a result of the peace treaties subsequent to the last war. It would always endeavor to negotiate an equitable settlement of these grievances through peaceful methods. I said that the Minister would recall that I had always expressed the hope in behalf of this Government that that wise policy would be adhered to.
[Page 308]I stated that the facts now showed conclusively that notwithstanding the announcement of policy which had been made by the Minister to this Government as above referred to, the Government of Bulgaria had invaded the territory of both Yugoslavia and of Greece by armed force and was occupying territories to which it had laid claim during the past twenty years. With regard to the Minister’s complaint, I said I could only say to him in all frankness that I hoped the effect of the President’s proclamation in Bulgaria would be exactly that which he said it would be, in as much as both the opinion of this Government and the opinion of the American people had been deeply shocked by the action taken, particularly by reason of the fact that the action in question had been taken after both Yugoslavia and Greece had bravely struggled to maintain their independence against German aggression and had been taken at a time when the two countries were in no position to defend themselves against Bulgaria. I said that the step taken by Bulgaria far from corresponded with the policy which had been communicated to us during recent years and could only be interpreted here as an indication that Bulgaria was committed heart and soul to the Axis policies which were rapidly reducing the whole structure of European civilization to complete chaos and anarchy.
The Minister evidently anticipated the reply which I made to him but said that he could only regret that the special circumstances which now existed were not taken into full account by this Government.
I said that I could not in good conscience admit that the special circumstances to which the Minister referred could justly modify in any sense the opinion I had expressed.