874.00/11–1145: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—1:26 p.m.]
670. From Ethridge. Leaving for Moscow weather permitting 7 a.m. tomorrow.99
In an hour’s conversation with Prime Minister Kimon Georgiev this afternoon, I once again impressed upon him view that FF (Fatherland Front) Govt could not be considered representative in Yalta sense and that in opinion of our Govt forthcoming elections would provide no solution to problem. I then informed him of my instructions to press at Moscow for postponement of elections and added that if no agreement could be reached on that point our Govt would [Page 370] probably stipulate reconstruction of Cabinet and holding of new elections as prerequisite to recognition.
The possibility of new postponement obviously troubled Prime Minister but while he attempted to attribute stubbornness to [of?] opposition during past 2 months to their hope of intervention by Western Powers he had no solution to offer. He backed away from his previous admission to me that his Govt was unrepresentative by saying that while FF (Fatherland Front) had been badly impaired by withdrawal of opposition elements it still represented a majority. I pointed out that only way to ascertain that was by free elections.
Prime Minister gave it as his view in discussing what might happen after elections to satisfy our viewpoint, that it would not be possible to include members of opposition in Cabinet during the session of the National Assembly since constitution requires Cabinet members to be assemblymen but that they could be placed on FF Central Committee and in different places of responsibility throughout country. He further said that after National Assembly had been dissolved, it would be possible to reorganize the Cabinet provided the Govt and that opposition could get together and include all democratic elements in the Cabinet. I asked casually about, but did not press, a proposal which might be later made, that the National Assembly be restricted to a few routine measures such as passage of budget, legalizing decree law etc. If the Moscow conversations are not successful on the point of postponement that proposal will be elaborated in a telegram to you for your consideration.
In the meantime, I should like to urge again your consideration of a statement to be issued before the elections saying that we will not recognize these as free elections in that neither Govt nor elections meet stipulations of Yalta. It will have great effect in this country and may force changes more speedily than they could otherwise be had. My own feeling is that failure of our Govt to make its stand known in advance of elections would be a bad letdown for great majority of Bulgarian people and a great morale factor for those in power.
Repeated Moscow as No. 293. [Ethridge.]
- Mr. Ethridge departed from Sofia at 8 a.m. on November 12 for Moscow.↩