874.00/5–3045: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 30—9:51 a.m.]
282. I have been informed on best authority that Mara Racheva, 25-year-old private [secretary] of G. M. Dimitrov while he was Secty Gen of the Agrarian Party and since then private secty of Nikola Petkov, was arrested by the militia on May 24 and died of torture on May 28. Hristo Stratev and Boris Pashev, both prominent supporters of G. M. Dimitrov who were until recently the Agrarian reps on the Natl Committee on the FF, are now being held by the militia. It is also known that numerous other supporters of Dimitrov have likewise been placed under arrest as a result the latter’s escape. It is just this sort of thing that makes me so convinced that no confidence [Page 239] could be placed in any guarantee for the complete safety of Dimitrov that might be given in the name of the Bulgarian Govt.
Rptd to Moscow as no. 141.