874.00/8–1145: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes)
249. With regard to your recent telegrams concerning the Bulgarian political situation with particular reference to the scheduled elections, [Page 283] paragraph X of the report on Berlin conference26 provides that the Council of Foreign Ministers will proceed with the task of preparing a peace treaty for Bulgaria for conclusion with a recognized democratic Government of Bulgaria and in the meantime each of the US, UK and Soviet governments separately may, if it deems it desirable to do so, establish diplomatic relations with Bulgaria.
The US Govt is desirous of recognizing and of establishing diplomatic relations with a Bulgarian government which will be adequately representative of all democratic opinion in that country as soon as conditions in Bulgaria give evidence that the free expression of political views and the free exercise of political rights are sufficiently safeguarded. However, we cannot overlook the preponderance of current evidence that a minority element in power in the country is at present endeavoring by the use of force and intimidation to prevent the effective participation in the scheduled elections of a large democratic section of the electorate. In the absence of full and unhampered participation in the election of all democratic elements a situation would seem likely to result so as to preclude the formation of a fully representative government.
Please convey the substance of the foregoing views of this Govt to members of the Bulgarian Govt adding that this Govt proposes to make its position public.
- Protocol of Proceedings of the Berlin Conference, Conference of Berlin, (Potsdam), vol. ii, pp. 1478, 1492.↩