874.00/8–1745: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:30 p.m.]
446. At a noisy mass meeting held here yesterday evening and at others held in the provinces, FF (Fatherland Front) “double victory” of Soviet recognition and Prime Minister’s rejection of [US note?] and opposition demands. This morning Government organ, Otechestven Front, concludes that after these signs of national enthusiasm “every honest Bulgarian and every honest foreigner must realize that the workers, peasants, craftsmen, civil servants, intelligentsia and GC (abbreviation unknown) middle class are united FF (Fatherland Front). Every statement to the contrary is result either of ignorance or of conscious and ill intentioned distortion of Bulgarian actuality.”
In their efforts which bordered on hysteria to reassure nervous Bulgarian opinion, Cabinet members frankly juxtaposed Soviet recognition to “efforts of opposition groups to provoke foreign intervention”. Undismayed by incongruity of his Government’s position, Stainov went so far as to state formally that Bulgaria “had every reason to hope and to expect that Soviet recognition would be followed by that of other great powers who signed armistice, because they cannot deny that Bulgaria has made supremely decisive effort to contribute to defeat of Fascism and to fulfill its armistice obligations.[”] Yugov on his part made the following startling guarantee: “I may boldly state in my capacity as Minister of Interior of FF Bulgaria, that there is not a single case of pressure on opposition throughout the whole country”.
[Page 292]Perhaps most interesting of all that was said yesterday by nervous Government leaders was Stainov’s following admission that the FF has never thought of holding free elections on August 26: “what difference does it make if the opposition has withdrawn? That is its affair. However if it desires for the sake of convenience to save the electoral arena and to betray those Agrarians who have never left the field of struggle we must not conclude that we have already gained victory. We desire that you appear and confirm by a plebiscite the act of September 9—the question is one of a plebiscite and there is no question of elections. It is not important which individuals we may elect. What is important is the idea that we will support—the idea of FF”. This statement savours very much of Marshal Tito’s recent declaration to the effect that the people of Yugoslavia will soon be given the opportunity to declare “yes or no”.
Repeated Moscow as 230.