Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1941, General, The Soviet Union, Volume I

701.6174/11: Telegram

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

Sofia, December 2, 1941—5 p.m.
[Received December 3—7:15 a.m.]

466. Russian Minister informs me that the Bulgarian police are doing everything possible to annoy and isolate his Legation. Every member of the Legation is openly followed by police and every visitor except diplomats leaving the Legation is questioned by the police and sometimes arrested. The Russian Counsellor of Legation was recently beaten on the street by plain-clothes men while a uniformed policeman looked on.

Complaints to the Foreign Minister by the Russian Minister bring no relief.

It is probable that these tactics are but further evidence of the crude and brutal police system and the lack of control of the Foreign Office over the police. It is possible, however, it is a studied persecution intended to cause Russia to break relations with Bulgaria, though the Russian Minister says this will not happen because of such provocations.

Earle

[For declaration of war on December 12 and 13, 1941, between the United States and Bulgaria, Rumania, and Hungary, see pages 591 and 592.]