Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII

740.00119 EW/10–1745

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Kohler)

[Washington,] October 19, 1945.

Participants:	Greek Ambassador
	Under Secretary
	Mr. Kohler

The Greek Ambassador called at his request. He referred to the press despatch from Sofia published in the Washington Daily News of October 16 purporting to give the terms of the U.S. peace proposals for Bulgaria about which the Secretary was questioned in his press conference on October 17. The Ambassador said that the Secretary’s reply on that occasion made it clear that certain U.S. proposals were put forward at London.⁹² Emphasizing the vital importance of this question for Greece, he said he felt that he was entitled to ask, in the name, though not under the specific instructions, of his Government, that a copy of these American proposals be made available to the Greek Government. He added that they would of course be kept as confidential as we might desire.

Mr. Acheson told the Ambassador that he could give him no information on this subject but would see that his request came to the attention of the Secretary.⁹³

92. At its 16th meeting, September 21, 1945, the Council of Foreign Ministers discussed the provisions for a peace treaty with Bulgaria proposed by the Soviet Union on September 12, by the United Kingdom on September 17, and by the United States on September 19, and certain decisions of principle were reached. For the agreed record of decisions of the Council at this meeting, see vol. ii, p. 298; see also the American minutes of this meeting, ibid., pp. 300–310.
93. The Under Secretary of State did this in a memorandum of October 20, not printed. The Under Secretary on November 1 approved the course of action proposed in a memorandum of November 1, 1945, by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson) which recommended: “Since it has been decided not to make available to the Greek Ambassador a copy of the United States proposal for a peaceful settlement with Bulgaria, I would suggest the following line in replying to the Ambassador’s request of October 20 [19?]. It might be explained to him that these proposals were of a preliminary and exploratory character and that, as they were tabled at the Council of Foreign Ministers and are therefore a matter for further consideration by the Allied Governments represented at the Council, no useful purpose would appear to be served in giving them wider distribution during their present inconclusive status.” (740.00119 EW/10–1745)