740.00119 EW/9–1346: Telegram
The Acting United States Representative in Bulgaria (Rewinkel) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received September 14—6:35 a.m.]
731. Bulgarian public opinion depressed over Ambassador Caffery’s remarks in Political and Territorial Commission for Bulgaria that he “considered with sympathy” Greek demands for rectification of frontier.55 No serious Bulgarian except Communists believing blindly in Soviet force and support thought that Bulgaria would receive territory at expense of Greece. They all believed, however, that Paris Conference would sanction pre-1941 frontiers.
No support had been expected of UK because of that country’s interest in Greece. They now feel abandoned by US who they thought would approve pre-1941 frontier without reservation. Petkov told me yesterday that he most disappointed and feels that effect will be to drive Bulgaria even closer into arms of “only friend”—Russia. He expects Communists to make most of opportunity show that western democracies hostility to Bulgaria and that only hope for security and integrity of Bulgaria is closer collaboration with and reliance on USSR, the “protector of all Slavs against imperialistic agression”.
Repeated Paris for Delsec 231, Moscow 310, London 157.
- The statement under reference is that made at the 9th Meeting of the Political and Territorial Commission for Bulgaria, September 11; for the United States Delegation Journal account of that meeting, see vol. iii, p. 422. Caffery’s statement is also summarized and commented upon in telegram 4642 (Delsec 951), September 16, from Paris, post, p. 865.↩