740.00119 E.A.C./9–2044: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
7750. Reurtels 7775, September 19, and 7816, September 20. Lack of any comment from the Joint Chiefs of Staff has prevented the Department from formulating its final instructions with regard to the Bulgarian armistice terms, but it suggests that you present the following [Page 434] provisional views to the EAC, the numbering of the articles referring in every case to the revised Soviet draft of September 20:89
In view of the Soviet acceptance of the British proposal to make the withdrawal of Bulgarian forces and officials from Allied territories, with prior verification by Allied authorities, a prerequisite for the signature of the armistice, the Department will not object to this procedure. It had felt, however, that, although it is undoubtedly desirable to call upon the Bulgarians to evacuate Allied territory at once, the adoption of the British proposal would provide very little advantage and might possibly delay the actual conclusion of the armistice. Upon signature of the armistice, without this condition, the Allies would be in any event in a position to enforce immediate withdrawal if it had not by that time already been accomplished.
In view of the apparent willingness of the British and Soviet representatives to accept Ankara as the venue for the signing of the armistice, the Department believes that a definitive agreement on this point should now be reached.
Preamble. The Department sees no objection to the British suggestion that the armistice terms be signed jointly by the Soviet High Command and by a representative of SACMED, but cannot give a definitive reply regarding signature solely by an authorized Soviet general pending receipt of the views of the Joint Chiefs.
Article I. The Department favors in principle the Soviet Article 1, but believes that the co-belligerent status which this implies should be limited to the following conditions to be formulated by the EAC for safeguarding the interests of the countries, such as Greece and Yugoslavia, which have suffered from Bulgarian aggression: (1) the number of Bulgarian divisions should be restricted and the remaining divisions disarmed, and (2) Bulgarian troops should not be used on Allied territory without the prior consent of the Allied Government concerned.
Article II to XVII, inclusive. The Department finds these articles acceptable, and suggests that any further objections which may be raised by the United Kingdom delegation are a matter for adjustment in the EAC between it and the Soviet delegation.
Article XVIII. The Department hopes that an early instruction can be sent to you on the points connected with the matter of the Control Commission. The views of the military on this general question have not yet been formulated.