740.0011 European War 1939/21184

The Bulgarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the American Legation in Bulgaria

[Translation]12

After Germany and Italy declared that they are in a state of war with the United States of America, because they consider that the United States of America has committed in recent months a series of enemy acts, the Bulgarian Government, in order that it may fulfill its obligation in accordance with Article III of the Tripartite Pact, has decided also to break diplomatic relations with the United States of America and to declare the existence of a state of war therewith as well as with the United States’ ally, Great Britain.

  1. Original document and translation transmitted to the Department by Secretary of Legation in Egypt (Barbour) as an enclosure to his unnumbered despatch, April 3, 1942; received April 24. In despatch it is stated that the “informal note was handed personally to Minister Earle at approximately 1:30 p.m., December 13, 1941, by Mr. Ivan Altinoff, Chief of the Political Section of the Bulgarian Foreign Office, and it is the only notification the Legation ever received from the Bulgarian Government in this connection.”