874.00/10–446: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
us urgent
[Received October 5—11 p.m.]
802. My immediately following telegram 803 sets forth text Biryusov’s reply to Robertson’s letter October 1 reported my telegram 797, October 2.80
My telegram 804 contains text Robertson’s second letter.81
References made in Biryusov’s letter to “decisions of Opposition parties published September 14 and 19” are:
September 14: “Permanent Committee Bulgarian Agrarian Union (secretary Nikola Petkov) Central Committee of United Workers Social Democratic Party (Lulchev) and Independent Intellectuals (Professor Stoyanov) have addressed important circular letter to all presidents their county and local organizations giving them instructions re forthcoming elections for Grand National Assembly. Selection of candidates must begin immediately throughout country. In forthcoming elections three organizations will take part on basis common list of candidates.”
September 19: “Decision is taken by Democratic Party that it will take most active part in elections and will post lists of candidates throughout country. Democratic Party in favor of common lists all opposition parties. In places where agreement cannot be reached with opposition parties (Fatherland Front opposition) Democratic Party would file own lists. Party demands all persons arrested without [Page 152] court action and persons arrested for political reasons or detained in concentration camps be set free. It demands amnesty for leaders democratic currents of opinion and persons of democratic views sentenced for political reasons. It demands repeal all laws and orders threatening limitation of personal or political liberties”.
In opinion General Robertson and myself only one interpretation can be placed on Biryusov’s letter. Fundamentally opposition is justified in its private contention to this mission that in agreeing to participate in elections it is only playing into hands of Russians and Bulgarian Communists. In notifying Biryusov as Robertson has that he is reporting contents of reply to Secretary of State for such action in circumstances as Secretary may consider necessary, we both anticipate that Secretary will find way to make it clear to Bulgarian public and to opinion in United States as well that Russian authorities or at any rate General Biryusov himself apparently unwilling to work for free and unfettered elections Bulgaria October 27. In our opinion time has come to accept as fact and to act upon it that ACC Bulgaria in no sense tripartite commission but instrument of Russian policy of aggression and spheres of influence.
If ever proof were wanting of repeated contention by Robertson and myself that FF is merely facade masking Russian and Bulgarian Communist connivance against principles of Yalta then at long last we possess conclusive evidence in form of General Biryusov’s letter. To see true state of affairs all that is necessary is to contrast Kimon Georgiev’s statement to me (see my telegram No. 798, October 2) that “if airing of Bulgarian political situation before ACC could contribute to solution of Bulgaria’s problem of gaining recognition in West he would be thankful for (US) démarche” with General Biryusov’s expression of “surprise” over this démarche.
Sent Department as 802; repeated Paris 275 for Delsec; London as 173; Moscow as 330.
- Neither telegram under reference is printed. For texts of General Robertson’s letter of October 1 and General Biryuzov’s reply of October 4, see Department of State Bulletin, November 3, 1946, pp. 820–821.↩
- Telegram 804, October 4, from Sofia, not printed; for text of General Robertson’s letter of October 4 to General Biryuzov, see ibid., p. 821.↩