874.00/9–1245: Telegram
The Secretary of the United States Mission in Bulgaria (Rewinkel) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 13—8:17 p.m.]
529. Bulgaria’s No. 2 Communist, Vasil Kolarov, has just returned to this country after 20 years residence in USSR. Mission has learned from most reliable and highest source that he called on Regents yesterday to inform them that Russia will make seeming concessions in London Conference61 regarding Bulgarian situation but that he has come with instructions which are to preclude their actual application. He said further that although certain revisions should be made in procedure of and law on elections they are to be merely eyewash for the US and UK. He emphasized that elections must be held as soon as possible under present Fatherland Front Government headed by Georgiev and that Interior Ministry, including militia, must remain in Communist hands. Elections must be conducted by same methods, and with utter ruthlessness to achieve desired ends. He stated that after elections a Constituent Assembly would be called to proclaim a republic and Dimitrov of Moscow would come to Bulgaria to assume presidency of country.
[Page 327]It has also been stated to General Crane and myself by a source close to Regency that on September 7 General Biryusov, Chairman of ACC, called on Regents to inform them that elections must take place under aegis of present Fatherland Front Government headed by Georgiev, or Russia would be compelled to withdraw her protection from Bulgaria. The meaning of this threat is not clear but it is obviously the Russian reply to certain indications that Regents Ganev and Boboshevsky and Prime Minister Georgiev were giving serious consideration to reorganization of Government on line of an ad interim Cabinet of Affairs for conduct of elections.
In connection with foregoing it is reported that Petkov was last week approached by Communists with offer that if he would bring his group into Fatherland Front he would after elections be given post of Foreign Minister in a Government with Kolarov as Prime Minister (remytel 528, September 11)62 and Yugov remaining as Interior Minister. He refused.
I cannot emphasize too strongly confidential nature of the above information which is known by such few persons that its disclosure would bring merciless reprisal upon certain patriotic individuals.
Repeated to Moscow as 256.
- The Council of Foreign Ministers (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France, and China) held its first meeting in London, September 11–October 2; for documentation, see vol. ii, pp. 99 ff.↩
- Not printed.↩