740.00119 E.W./10–1944
The Ambassador to the Greek Government in Exile (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 27.]
Sir: As of possible interest to the Department, I have the honor to enclose a memorandum prepared by Special Assistant Henry A. Hill, relating to material losses of the Greek people arising from the occupation by the Bulgarians of eastern Macedonia and western Thrace, together with a list of livestock in Bulgar occupied Greece, 1937, and comments.15
The Greek Government has been very insistent that their losses be made good. Unfortunately, however, very little exact data exists in Cairo. No doubt the Greek Government will immediately after liberation prepare a full study, properly supported, of the losses sustained.
Mr. Allard, former Swedish Chargé d’Affaires for Greece and Bulgaria, in talking to me, specifically referred to the brutality of Bulgarian officials. He says that there can be no question that every effort was made by the Bulgarians to force the Greek population to leave the occupied area and under pretext that villages were Communist, thousands of people were massacred. In addition, he himself saw Bulgarian police and customs officials robbing the refugees at the border.
Mr. Lambrianides, Under Secretary of State, advised this Embassy that by starving and ill-treating the population, the Bulgarians forced [Page 469] them to ask for permits to leave the area. These permits were only granted when the refugees were prepared to cede to the Bulgarian State their entire property.
Respectfully yours,
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