740.00119 E.W./9–1944: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt)
816. Reurtels 1760 September 16 and 1770 September 19.87 The British Foreign Office has proposed the following draft of a communication [Page 433] to be presented to the Bulgarian Minister at Ankara jointly by you and your British and Soviet colleagues.
[Here follows text of communication quoted in telegram 7855, September 21, 11 p.m., from London, printed supra.]
While the Department is in full agreement that the Bulgarian Government should be required immediately to evacuate its forces and officials from Yugoslav and Greek territory, it is not convinced of the necessity or advantage of making such a withdrawal a prerequisite to the opening of armistice discussions, particularly since such a procedure might delay the signing of the armistice. Since the British and Soviet Governments have agreed on this procedure, however, the Department has no reason to oppose it so long as every effort is made to insure that the observance of the stipulation is not allowed to delay the actual conclusion of the armistice.
You are accordingly authorized to associate yourself with your British and Soviet colleagues in addressing to the Bulgarian Minister a communication in the sense of the foregoing draft. Since, however, we believe that such a communication should obligate only the Bulgarians and not the three Allied Governments, and in view of the fact that actual arrangements for the “Joint Military Mission” have not yet been made, you should indicate the Department’s desire that the last sentence in the above-quoted draft be replaced by the following: “Such withdrawal must begin at once and should be completed within 15 days from the date of this communication. The Bulgarian Government must undertake to receive in Bulgaria and afford all requisite facilities to such military representatives or missions as the three Allied Governments may send for the purpose of verifying and controlling the withdrawal.”
Repeated to Moscow and London,88 sent to Ankara.