871.01/12–2345
The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
(Bevin) to the Secretary of State
Moscow, December 23,
1945.
Dear James: After listening to the discussions of
the last few days on the subject of the Balkan States, which is of so great
importance to all of us, I have come to the conclusion that there is
possibility of agreement between our three Delegations.
I enclose the draft of a memorandum embodying my ideas, on which I hope we
may agree. I trust that you will find this acceptable, and that on this
basis we can reach agreement in one Conference.
I am sending a similiar letter to M. Molotov.
Yours sincerely
[Enclosure]
Draft Memorandum by the British Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs (Bevin)
[Moscow, December 23, 1945.]
Rumania and Bulgaria
The three Governments should agree on a reply to King Michael’s letter of
August 21st 1945.44 Our reply
should state that the three
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Governments are prepared to give the King the advice for which he has
asked, with a view to the formation of a Roumanian Government which
might be recognised by all three Powers. The advice should be to the
effect that the present Government should be reorganised with a view to
the inclusion of representatives of parties not now in the Government
and of two or three non-party personalities. The Government thus
reorganised should be pledged to the holding of free and unfettered
elections as soon as possible on the basis of universal suffrage and
secret ballot. In these elections all democratic and anti-Nazi parties
should have the right to take part and to put forward candidates.
Appropriate steps should be taken to secure that the control of the
electoral machinery is not in the hands of any one party. The
reorganised Government should give assurances concerned [concerning] the grant of freedom of press,
speech, religion and association and concerning the activities of the
political police and militia.
As regards Bulgaria, the three Governments should recommend that the
reorganisation of the Government which is due to take place as a result
of the elections should lead to the admission into the Government of
representatives of the opposition Agrarian Party (Petkoff45 and his group). The reorganised Government should be
asked to give assurances similar to those requested from the Roumanian
Government.
Detailed arrangements in regard to the reorganisation of the Governments
should be worked out locally, preferably through the respective Control
Commissions, working with the political representatives of the three
Powers.
As soon as the reorganisation is complete and the required assurances
have been received, the Governments of Roumania and Bulgaria should be
recognised by His Majesty’s Government and the United. States
Government.
