740.00119 E.W./4–2346
The Greek Embassy to the Department of State
No. 1985
Pro Memoria
The views of the Greek Government on the question of the rectification of Greece’s frontier with Bulgaria were submitted to the Council of Foreign Ministers in London in a memorandum transmitted to the Secretary General of the Council, April 10, 1946, and in an accompanying report stating in detail the rectifications demanded and the strategic reasons justifying them.19
Supplementing the arguments contained in these two documents the Greek Ambassador deems it necessary to emphasize that, to the mind of his Government, none of the Greek claims is more vitally important than this question of the rectification of the Greek-Bulgarian frontier, as none other is liable to affect more deeply the whole future of Greece.
After her bitter experience with Bulgarian aggression during the past thirty-three years, Greece feels fully entitled to a larger measure of territorial security, a right generally recognized to all peace-loving nations, great and small. Yet, while Bulgaria’s own imperialistic policies towards Greece in the recent past might well have justified much heavier demands, Greece is confining her claims to a just frontier rectification of the Greek-Bulgarian boundary which, moreover, will involve a territory inhabited mainly by Moslem Pomaks who would welcome the cession of their districts to Greece.
The aggressive spirit of the Bulgarian people, which constitutes the gravest menace to Greece, would hardly be corrected if their country were to emerge from the last war aggrandized in area through the annexation of Southern Dobrutza, and economically stronger than [Page 85] her former enemies. Such a situation resulting from undue clemency on the part of the Allies would, on the contrary, incite the Bulgarians to further disregard all moral rules in their international behavior. Undue clemency now would sow the seed of a fresh Bulgarian aggression against Greece in the future. This Bulgarian menace hanging over Greece may be curbed only by a determined attitude of the United States and Great Britain in favor of Greece in the peace settlement with Bulgaria.
Past experience with respect to the Bulgarian settlement after the First World War should also guide the Allies along the line indicated by the Greek Government, in order that they avert repetition of mistakes whose consequences may this time spell irreparable disaster for Greece.
The United States and Great Britain know well that Greece has been in the past and will continue to be in the future the main bulwark of the peace-loving democracies in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the defence of the highly strategic area of the Middle East. It is, therefore, to their own advantage to help Greece fulfill, if need be again, this strategic role with better chances of success, by securing now a more defendable frontier to the north.
The Greek Government understands the desire of the American and British Governments to arrive at an early settlement of all questions arising from the war. However, it considers it its duty both towards its people and its Allies to warn against undue haste that would involve disregard of vital interests of the Greek nation, for the preservation of which Greece has sacrificed her all in the war.
The Greek Ambassador further draws the attention of the Department of State to the following:
In the course of a recent conversation at the British Foreign Office the Greek Chargé d’Affaires was told that the question of the rectification of the Greek-Bulgarian boundary could be submitted to the Council of Foreign Ministers under the Greek Government’s “own responsibility.” The British attitude is allegedly due to the fear entertained by the British Government lest the Greek initiative give rise to counterclaims being advanced against Greece “from other quarters.”
The Greek Government considers this view wholly unfounded. It can hardly realize under what circumstances any territorial claims could even be formulated against Greece, as such an eventuality would mean absolute denial of the most elementary principles of justice. Furthermore, the Greek Government cannot but express its sad surprise at the Western Powers’ totally different approach to the demands presented by Yugoslavia with respect to Trieste and Venezia Giulia, which they seem prepared to satisfy to a great extent.
[Page 86]Thus Greece is receiving a less favorable treatment despite the fact that her titles are stronger than those of Yugoslavia, who, in the darkest days of the war, while Greece after winning the first allied victories on land was facing the added German threat, acceded to the Tripartite Pact, receiving in exchange a promise of acquiring the port of Salonica. Nor should it be forgotten that after the popular revolt led by General Simovitch, the latter still was willing to accept the Pact and retain the Salonica bargain, his plans being upset by the sudden German attack which caused the complete collapse of the vaunted Yugoslav army in a matter of hours, with disastrous effects to the British-Greek front.
The Western Allies, and Great Britain in particular, certainly are not bound to Tito by any special debt of gratitude for the fact that while he was being armed to fight the Germans he devoted his main efforts to bringing Yugoslavia under his control, and has succeeded in establishing a dictatorial regime which constitutes a serious threat to the peace.
The Allies should also recall their unfortunate experience with the greater Rumania they created after the other war, who did not for that reason hesitate to join the enemy camp in the last.
The Greek Government wishes to reiterate its conviction that a determined stand of the American and British Governments in favor of Greece in the settlement of the question of the Greek-Bulgarian boundary is the only way to preclude any counterclaims against Greece from any quarters.
In asking for the rectification of her frontier facing Bulgaria Greece is seeking but the minimum territorial security indispensable to her survival and progress, especially under the new adverse conditions created in the Balkan peninsula by the political developments of the past two years.
Under these circumstances the Greek Government is determined to press its demand for a less vulnerable boundary line with Bulgaria and is confident that the United States and British Governments will uphold its views and help Greece obtain full satisfaction, failing which she will be unable to accept any peace terms with Bulgaria.