740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/1–1945: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Representative in Bulgaria ( Barnes )

37. Reurtel 37, January 19. Bulgarian apathy regarding relief deliveries to Greece is deeply deplored here. Reurtel 16 January 6,68 Section 2, Caserta reports in A–12 of January 1868 that question of unauthorized Bulgarian reparations to Yugoslavia was discussed in December 28 meeting of ACC and that, in spite of concurrence in Oxley’s suggestion that Commission express to Bulgarian Government its disapproval of General Terpeshev’s69 statements promising relief goods for Yugoslavia, it was believed no adequate representations would be made.

On all appropriate occasions please express our desire for constructive action in this matter. You may indicate that Bulgarian policy in this respect has produced a distinctly unfavorable reaction here. You should stress our heavy commitments in effecting relief shipments to Greece and adjacent areas and the legal and moral obligation of the Bulgarian Government to direct its relief shipments impartially between Greece and Yugoslavia, to which latter country we are also extending relief. You may also indicate the possible adverse effect on American public opinion and sympathy for Bulgarian problems of Bulgaria’s present attitude. Sent to Sofia; repeated to Athens70 and Caserta.71

Grew
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Lt. Gen. Dobri Terpeshev, Bulgarian Minister without Portfolio and Communist Party member.
  4. As No. 137.
  5. As No. 145. In telegram 2409, May 30, 6 p.m., the Ambassador in Italy (Kirk) reported from Caserta that the Bulgarian authorities had handed over to Greece at the frontier the following in payment for reparations: 17 mules and 85 horses in extremely bad condition (740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/5–3045).