740.00119 E.W./11–1044
The Ambassador in Greece ( MacVeagh ) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 28.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith44 a copy of a letter which I have received from Mr. Themistocles Sophoulis, leader of the Greek Liberal Party and old associate of the late Mr. Venizelos,45 on the terms of the armistice recently signed with Bulgaria, together with a copy of a letter which he has addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr. Papandreou, on the same subject.
In acknowledging receipt of these documents to Mr. Sophoulis and advising him that I would forward them to my Government for its information, I have expressed no personal views regarding their contents, as the Department will observe from my reply, a copy of which I also enclose. Nevertheless, I believe the Department may care to accord them its considered perusal, not only because the opinions and [Page 486] sentiments they express appear to be widely shared by persons of all parties in this country, but because they present a well reasoned case in a competent manner and in a tone notably free of the hysteria so often connected with discussions of the subject in hand.
The Department will note that while recognizing that “the armistice is not the peace treaty,” Mr. Sophoulis expresses surprise that whereas “in the recent armistice agreements between the USSR and Finland,46 and the USSR and Rumania, provision was made both of a territorial nature and also substantial war indemnities were imposed”, Greece should have been so little taken into account in the terms of the armistice with Bulgaria, with which no country is more vitally concerned than herself.
In his letter to me Mr. Sophoulis, on behalf of his party, accordingly makes “the fullest reservations on the terms of the armistice with Bulgaria”. In his letter to Mr. Papandreou, however, he not only does this but comments on the terms individually. In particular, along with views which the Department may find familiar, he gives interesting reasons for believing that a Greek representative on the Control Commission would be desirable, and for finding certain clauses in the armistice too vague to be likely to prove operative.
Respectfully yours,