874.002/175: Telegram
The Consul General at Istanbul (Berry) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:38 p.m.]
330R71. The new Bulgarian Cabinet comprises the following: Prime Minister and temporarily Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Bagryanov, scientific farmer friend of the dynasty; for Minister of Interior, Professor Alexander Stanishev, MR, a Macedonian; Education, Professor Mihail Arnaudov, Slavist, former tutor of Tsar Boris, guardian of King Simeon; Finance, Dimiter Savov, industrialist and financier, former President of the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Bulgaro-Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce; Justice, Rusi Rusev, a new man, lawyer of moderate reputation; War, General Rusi Rusev, retained from Bozhilov Cabinet, regarded as mildly pro-German and an honest army administrator; Commerce, Hristo Vasilev, industrialist, former member of Parliament, politics and reputation unknown; Agriculture, Doncho Rostov, Professor in Agricultural College, studied in Germany and 3 years in America, held positions in Soviet Russia for 7 years until 1939; Communications, Boris Kolchev, Colonel in Army Engineers. Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Public Works are yet to be filled.
[Page 334]While this Cabinet contains strong pro-German elements it appears to be a cabinet which will not commit Bulgaria any further to the German cause. Bulgarian diplomatic representatives in Turkey regard the new Cabinet with satisfaction believing that its fundamental characteristic is the determination to maintain the present status quo in Bulgaria. Its composition indicates that this is its primary aim. It is believed that the new Government will endeavor to maintain present relations with Germany, at the same time avoiding any direct offense to the Soviets. It also aims to hold the support of the Macedonians both in Bulgaria and in Macedonia including the IMEO78 to satisfy the agrarians and keep the loyalty and confidence of the army. This conclusion as to the policy is based on the following observations: Bagryanov, while neutral politically, is trusted by the dynasty, is only moderately pro-German and at the same time has the confidence of the peasants and of the agrarians generally; Savov and Kostov have Soviet connections, the first having served on the Bozhilov Trade Mission to Moscow in January 1940 and the second having spent 7 years in scientific agricultural works in Russia returning to Bulgaria in 1939. Stanishev, close friend of former King Boris, is a leading and trusted figure in Macedonian affairs, being also head of the Macedonian-German Association, pro-German in personal sympathies; Kostov, in addition to having Russian connection is one of the most prominent leaders in Bulgarian agricultural development, known and highly regarded everywhere in Bulgaria. Arnaudov, besides being trusted by the dynasty and generally pro-German, is a renowned Slavic scholar and strong exponent of Bulgarian national and literary traditions and folklore. Minister of War while a pro-German is not an extremist. Bagryanov and Kolchev have good military records, the latter being a specialist in military transport. Savov and Vasilev represent finance, trade and industry.
The Cabinet unites in the interest of the dynasty, the Macedonians, the Army, the farmers and industrialists. Labor interests thus far left out may yet be represented by the Minister of Public Works when appointed.
Thus the new Cabinet while ostensibly pro-German in its composition appears to be primarily a cabinet of Bulgarian national unity skillfully organized to represent the main trends in Bulgarian public life today and to avoid commitments to the extremists in any direction. The attitude of the man eventually appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs will give further indication of Government policy.
Repeated to Amrep, Algiers, for Murphy as No. 21 and true reading to MacVeagh, Cairo.
- Infernal Macedonian organization.↩