874.00/6–1346: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
priority
[Received June 14—8:37 a.m.]
441. Supplementary memo50 confirming and elaborating Bulgaria’s point of view on country’s peace problems particularly outlet to Aegean, Greece’s demand for “strategic frontiers” and reparations, handed to me and my British colleague this morning by Secretary General of Foreign Office with same request as set forth mytel 17, April 25 for Delsec (repeated Department as 339). PGC [Bulgarian?] document is rebuttal of Greek statements to CFM and development of this is that Bulgaria’s Agrarian economy requires cheapest export transportation possible whereas ports western Thrace of no importance to Greek economy. Likewise western Thrace drain on Greek agricultural economy rather than source of supply. Aegean is outlet for territory as far north as Poland and Bulgaria as “bridgeland” between whole Danube area and Aegean Sea. “Violent hatred” of Greeks for anything Bulgarian cited as proof that only territorial outlet can effectively serve “vital” interests of Bulgaria. Argument is used by implication that western powers should not now make same mistake they made when Germany took advantage of West’s refusal to permit Bulgaria to develop better relation westward and thereby gained economic and political domination over country. “If Bulgaria had free access to her natural outlets on Aegean she would have been in better position to enlarge her world connections.” On Greek demand for strategic frontiers document observes that “if there is reason to suspect any aggressive designs in Balkans Greece would be country most liable in that respect because her Government is dominated by Chauvinistic monarchist and anti-democratic tendencies while Bulgaria and other Greek neighbor Yugoslavia managed to inaugurate democratic orientation in their Governments in past 2 years and give evidence of being [Page 492] animated by desire for international understanding and cooperation”. Poverty of Bulgaria in terms of national and individual incomes and heavy cost to Bulgaria of World War II and earlier wars constitute basis of plea for minimum reparations. Document will be forwarded by airmail.
Repeated to Department as No. 441, Department please repeat as Sofia’s No. 189 to Moscow.
- The 11-page memorandum, entitled “Bulgaria and Her Peace Problems (Supplementary Statement)”, was circulated to the Council of Foreign Ministers as document C.F.M. (46) 122, June 20, 1946, not printed.↩