874.00/9–1145: Telegram
The Secretary of the United States Mission in Bulgaria (Rewinkel) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 13—7 a.m.]
525. Although Ministerial Council has granted permission to four oppositional groups outside Fatherland Front to publish their own newspapers, no publications have as yet appeared. It is known that difficulties are being encountered in recruiting their workers and technicians, inasmuch as the printers, publishers and writers unions are Communist controlled. It also remains to be seen how generous Government will be in its newsprint allocations and in facilities granted for obtaining quarters and equipment.
Petkov’s Agrarians have as yet chosen no name for their paper. The remaining three will be: Svobodennaro (free people) by Cheshmedjiev’s Social Democrats: Zname (banner) by the Democrats; and Radikal by the Radicals.
[Page 326]These groups are not yet legalized parties outside Fatherland Front because under law on juridical persons they must first publish their newspapers and on basis of this fact make applications to become juridical political parties after which they can commence organized political opposition (re my telegram 513, September 6)60
In light of foregoing it is obvious that all generous statements of the government regarding freedom for opposition by press and political activity are mere dust deliberately thrown in eyes of western Democracies. There will only be freedom for the opposition when their newspapers actually materialize and are published without physical or censorship restrictions and when they subsequently become juridical parties entitled to conduct free and organized political activity (re my telegram 521, September 10).
Meanwhile Communists are agitating for earliest elections possible while obstructing by every means the organization and activities of opposition groups. The decision of Ministerial Council setting date of elections is expected daily.
- Not printed.↩