740.00119 EW/10–1045: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes)
329. The Brit Emb here furnished the Dept paraphrases Houstoun-Boswall message of Sept 7 to Foreign Office and latter’s reply Sept 1175 regarding difficulties encountered by Greek reparations mission in Sofia and requested that US representative on ACC Bulgaria be instructed to support British position set forth in latter message.
Unless in meantime circumstances have changed so as, in your opinion, to make such action unnecessary or inadvisable, please request Gen Crane to inform ACC that this Govt perceives no justifiable grounds for questioning liaison status and powers of Greek mission as fully accredited agent of Greek Govt, which status has received approval of all three ACC powers, and that accordingly request for confirmation by Govt Athens of claims submitted by Chief of Greek mission seems unwarranted. Moreover, although this Govt agrees with Gen Biryusov’s contention set forth in his letter quoted in Brit [Page 345] telegram from Sofia to Foreign office No. 1061 of Sept 1476 that rights and privileges of ACC members in Bulgaria can not be claimed for Greek mission, US Govt feels that ACC should, in the discharge of its functions with regard to the execution of the Armistice, invoke the provisions of article 15 of the Armistice to require Bulgarian Govt to provide such services and facilities as may be necessary to the fulfillment by the Greek mission of the purposes for which its establishment was approved. In this connection please ask Gen Crane to add that there is no basis for Bulgarian MinFonAff raising question of reciprocal treatment for possible Bulgarian mission as Greek mission’s presence in Bulgaria is predicated on Bulgarian obligations under the Armistice.
Sent to Sofia, repeated Moscow, Athens and London for Secdel 167.77