Since the formation of the present Fatherland Front Government in
Bulgaria and the
institution of the armistice regime under an Allied (Soviet)
Control Commission, the Bulgarian Workers’ Party (communist) has
spared no effort to consolidate its control of the country. By
means of political maneuvering and intimidation by the
communist-controlled militia, moderate elements in the Agrarian,
Social Democratic and Union–Zveno parties have been eliminated
from the Fatherland Front, and the latter, still nominally
including those parties, now faces the forthcoming elections,
announced for August 26, with an entirely communist
complexion.
The Allied Control Commission has entered the so-called “second”
period (that following the cessation of hostilities) still
without effective American and British participation, and the
news blackout of the satellite countries is complete in
Bulgaria, the United
States Government having so far been unable to arrange for the
entry of any American correspondents.
Soviet forces in the country are now said to number 200,000 and
the recently concluded Bulgarian–U. S. S. R. trade pact1 is contributing to the deterioration of
a Bulgarian economy already strained by Soviet demands for
provisions for her military establishment and for export to
Russia.
Bulgarian Background Information
Government
Bulgaria is a
constitutional monarchy, the constitution of 1879, as
subsequently revised, providing for a strongly centralized
government. The present Bulgarian Government was formed
under the Premiership of Kimon
Georgiev on September 9, 1944, from a
coalition group known as the Fatherland Front and includes
four representatives of the Bulgarian Workers’ Party
(communist), four of the Agrarian Party, four of the
Union–Zveno, two of the Social Democratic Party and two
independents, the communists being the most influential and
the Agrarians having the largest popular following. A
regency Council exercises the royal prerogatives on behalf
of the young King Simeon
II.
The Allied Control Commission
Pursuant to Article 18 of the armistice signed at Moscow on
October 28, 1944,3 an Allied Control
Commission has been set up in Sofia to supervise the
execution of the armistice terms. The Chairman of the
Commission is, according to the armistice, the Russian
member, General
Biryusov. The American member is Major General John A.
Crane and the British member is Major General W. H.
Oxley. During the period preceding the cessation
of hostilities it was provided in the armistice agreement
that the Commission should be under the general direction of
the Soviet member. The American and British members have not
been permitted to take any part in the work of the
Commission. Only two meetings of the Commission have been
held despite formal representations by the American and
British representatives. Decisions in the name of the
Commission have been taken by the Soviet Chairman without
prior consultation or subsequent notification to his Allied
colleagues. Now that hostilities in Europe have ceased, the
American and British Governments have approached the Soviet
[Page 364]
Government
with a view to obtaining actual participation by the
American and British delegates during this second period as
provided in Article 18 of the armistice agreement.4
It should be particularly noted that under the Commission
regime, the United States Government has been unable to
arrange for the entry of journalists into Bulgaria and has encountered
prolonged delay in getting clearance for official American
personnel.
American Civilian Representation in
Bulgaria
Since Bulgaria still has
the status of an enemy nation and has not been made a
co-belligerent, no formal diplomatic relations are
maintained between that country and the United States or
Britain. The United States is informally represented in
Bulgaria by Mr.
Maynard Barnes, a
Foreign Service Officer with the personal rank of Minister
and the British Government is similarly represented by Mr.
William
Houstoun-Boswall.
Political Conditions
Since the establishment of the present government, the
Bulgarian Workers’ Party (communist) has been actively
engaged in an effort to achieve complete political
domination of Bulgaria.
Working within the framework of the Fatherland Front and
with the ruthless assistance of the Communist-controlled
militia, it has endeavored to purge the country of
non-communist opponents, branding all unfriendly elements
not subservient to its will as “Fascist”. It has succeeded
in eliminating non-communist sympathizers from the direction
of its ostensible opposition parties, the Agrarian and the
Social Democrats. With a view to the forthcoming elections
announced for August 26, the Communists have succeeded in
reducing the Agrarian and Social Democratic representation
in the Fatherland Front to the position of communist
supporters. Dr. G. M.
Dimitrov, Leader of the majority Agrarians[,]
has been eliminated not only from his position as Secretary
General of the Agrarian Party but also from the Party
itself, following a campaign of vilification. The election
decree recently approved by
[Page 365]
the Regents will preclude the
submission of separate electoral lists by parties outside
the Communist dominated Fatherland Front. Prior to the
publication of this decree the United States and United
Kingdom Governments had proposed to the Soviet Government
that a tripartite commission be formed to observe the
conduct of the elections.5 The Soviets replied that they did not
expect elections to be held at once and that, in any case,
they did not consider outside interference to be necessary,
since the Bulgarian authorities were capable of conducting
elections themselves as the Finns had done.
Relations with the Soviet Union
The Soviet authorities are in effective control of Bulgaria, not only through
the Control Commission but also as a result of the presence
in the country of a sizable Soviet army, recently increased
to 200,000 men.
The Communist George
Dimitrov who resides in Moscow is regarded as
the supreme authority in the Fatherland Front.
The Soviet Government has concluded a trade agreement with
the Bulgarians, of which an official text has not been
furnished us. In effect, the agreement is disadvantageous to
Bulgarian economy. In addition the Soviet authorities are
taking large quantities of supplies from the country both
for their local military forces and for shipment to
Russia.
Relations with Greece and Yugoslavia
Bulgarian foreign relations are under the supervision of the
Allied (Soviet) Control Commission. Yugoslavia has appointed a
minister to Bulgaria
and the American Government has made representations6 in Moscow
against the appointment, which is contrary to the policy
previously agreed to by the Soviet Government that members
of the United Nations should not appoint diplomatic
representatives to former satellite countries during this
period. Other evidence of an effort by the Bulgarian
Government, with Soviet support, to increase Bulgarian ties
with Yugoslavia is
noticeable in statements by Bulgarian officials and the
Bulgarian press concerning the close attachment of the two
countries and in the fact that Bulgarian deliveries to
Yugoslavia under
the armistice are understood to have been made in
considerable quantities. References to Bulgarian-Yugoslav
federation or similar close association appear continuously
and a Yugoslav-Bulgarian pact of friendship and mutual
assistance has been proposed. The latter has been the
subject of discussions between the British, United States
and Soviet representatives in Moscow. It is the American and
British view that such a pact would be a disturbing
[Page 366]
influence in the
Balkans arousing fear and suspicion among the neighbors of
the two countries. The Soviet Government holds the opposite
opinion.
As regards Greece, the
Soviet Government has failed to reply to repeated requests
to permit Greece to
appoint a liaison officer to the Control Commission as the
Yugoslavs have been allowed to do and the only reparations
so far received by Greece from Bulgaria under the armistice are said to be
17 horses and 85 mules. A Greek request for consular
representation in Bulgaria is likewise unanswered.
[
Washington
,] July 5, 1945.
