Office of the Historian

740.00119 Potsdam/8–1145: Telegram

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

Sofia, August 11, 1945—1 p.m.
[Received August 11—11:10 a.m.]

431. No one could be more delighted with or convinced by such evidence of power of US as the President’s radio speech on Berlin Conference25 than General Crane and myself. To peoples of western mentality, at any rate to Americans, such a speech is convincing in itself. To the skeptical Balkan mind, and judging from our experience to date the same holds for Russians, something more concrete than words—even the words of President of US [—] is necessary to be convincing. To these minds, the anomaly of overwhelming world power and way those of us who represent US in Bulgaria are pushed around by Russians and even by Bulgarian authorities is explainable only by acceptance of treatment as evidence of true position of US with respect to matters in this part of world, and not words of President. Everybody knows Bulgaria has been governed since signature of armistice not by a tripartite control commission but by connivance between Moscow, local Communists and Russian-supported FF government. The vast majority of Bulgarians cling to hope that President’s promise that a control commission participated in on a basis of equality by US and UK will govern Bulgaria until a democratic govt has been recognized and peace concluded with it. But the determination of FF to continue with its projected Hitlerite plebiscite described by them as general elections, and failure of US and UK thus far to make any open protests against this project are pointed to by FF supporters, both Bulgarians and Russians, as proof of inconsequence of words as compared to acts.

While foregoing summary has been personalized by injection into it of views of General Crane and myself, it still remains an accurate estimate of local commentary on Berlin Conference and President’s speech explaining agreements reached there.

Barnes
  1. Speech delivered August 9, 10 p.m.; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, August 12, 1945, p. 208.↩