740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/1–2646: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 27—7:26 a.m.]
92. General Oxley received telephone call early this morning requesting that he confer with General Biryusov at 2:15 p.m. He replied that hour was inconvenient but that he would call at 3:30 p.m. Subsequently he received following letter from General Biryusov:
“In reply to your letter No. ACC (B) line 330 line 2–1282 of 22 January 194632 I inform you that on 22 of January leaders of opposition were invited to ACC for purpose of returning to them the known letter which I considered impossible to accept.
“You must know Mr. General that ACC in Bulgaria is not empowered to occupy itself with questions raised in this letter of leaders of Bulgarian opposition questions which were subject of discussion and decision at last Moscow Conference of three MinsFonAff.
“As it is seen in the above there was not and is no necessity to call meeting of ACC in connection with letter of leaders of Bulgarian opposition.”
General Crane has received no communications on subject from Biryusov. Doubtless this is due to fact that yesterday afternoon General Oxley sent curt reminder to Biryusov that no reply had yet been received to his communication of January 22 (see mytel 79, January 2234).
At meeting of Generals Oxley and Crane, Houstoun-Boswall and myself following reply was drafted by General Oxley and has since been communicated by him to Biryusov:
“I have received your letter No. 200 of 25 January 1946 which conveys to me information I sought in my letter to which you refer.
“In these circumstances I propose to report to my Government; meanwhile it appears to me that no discussion between us would be likely to produce any useful result until I am in possession of my Government’s views. You will agree I think that this is best course since Opposition’s letter referred to deals primarily with development of state of affairs which might well impair fulfillment of the armistice.”
The final sentence of General Oxley’s letter related to fact that [apparent omission] largely with domestic developments that may well lead to widespread civil strife.
Sent Dept as 92; repeated to London as 38 and Moscow as 46.
- Not printed; it was similar to letter from Crane quoted in the following footnote.↩
-
Not printed; it transmitted the text of Crane’s letter to Biryuzov which reads as follows:
↩“A few days ago a letter was received from the leaders of the opposition which was addressed to you as President and to General Oxley and myself as members of the Allied Control Commission.
“I have been informed that the opposition leaders were summoned to appear today before the Allied Control Commission in connection with the letter referred to above.
“I am quite surprised that neither General Oxley nor I was invited to attend this meeting in view of the fact that the Allied Control Commission as a whole is concerned.
“Therefore, I would greatly appreciate, my dear General, if you would advise me of what transpired at the meeting in order that I may determine if I should request a full meeting to discuss this most important matter.” (740.00119-control (Bulgaria)/l–2246)