874.00/10–1146: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received October 12—10:30 a.m.]
821. My next following telegram No. 822, today’s date is translation of Prime Minister’s written reply to Secretary’s letter of September 24.83
Signed Bulgarian text was handed to me this noon by FonOff Secretary General Altunov. He explained to me in name of Prime Minister that out of high regard for Mr. Byrnes, Prime Minister had put nothing in note to effect that Bulgarian domestic political situation matter of proper concern only to Bulgarian Govt but that Prime Minister wished this opinion to be registered orally with me. I asked Altunov to convey my compliments to Prime Minister and to recall to him that in my conversation of October 2 (see mytel 798 to Department) I had explained that armistice relations permit observations by victorious signatory that would be out of place under other circumstances; that, therefore, I did not presume Secretary would take Prime Minister’s oral message any more seriously than I was inclined to do.
There followed a talk about political matters in Bulgaria as they really exist not as they sometimes appear to be in official correspondence nor as they are always made to appear by Russians and Bulgarian Govt through mechanism of FF. Altunov admitted almost everything that I have ever said in my telegrams of past 2 years to effect that Russians here and FF Govt combine to present Chinese Wall to Anglo-Saxon signatories of Armistice with Bulgaria. He said that the Anglo-Saxons have not gained ground in Bulgaria in last year but have lost it to wit our ability year ago August to force action by ACC with respect to elections then scheduled, whereas, today we are powerless to do more than write notes and letters.
His explanation was: Russia will never risk war with Anglo-Saxon nations but short of such a risk Russia will decisively continue along her provocative expansionist way believing that it will never be too late to withdraw from advanced spearheads that set up irritation that might explode into war and in this manner Russia anticipates she will be able to retain for future peaceful exploitation most of ground gained by her present audacious and disdainful policy. In Altunov’s opinion Russia has taken good measure of west and knows that continued pressure will get her most of what she wishes without [Page 156] any serious risks. I suppose circumstances have occurred in past that permitted microscopic former enemy to entertain and express such views with respect to major victors (US and UK) but I myself do not possess sufficiently detailed knowledge of history to be able to recall any such circumstances. I do not mean to imply that Altunov was seeking to be disagreeable. Very fact that he was not and yet that he was expressing such contemptible estimate of two great powers made his comment far more distasteful than had he deliberately sought to be provocative.
Sent Paris Delsec as 286, repeated London 181; Moscow 338.
- Telegram, 822 not printed; for text of Prime Minister Georgiev’s letter of October 11, 1946, to the Secretary of State, see Department of State Bulletin, November 3, 1946, p. 819.↩