874.00/7–1646: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes)
224. In response to inquiry by correspondent concerning Kolarov’s reported conversation with me in Paris, Dept spokesman today made following statement in that connection:39
“Mr. Kolarov saw the Secretary in Paris. The Secretary took occasion to reaffirm the friendship of the American people for the Bulgarian people. He stated that, although Bulgaria had declared war on the United States we have no desire for revenge. He stressed the great importance attached by the United States to the maintenance [Page 121] of civil rights for all the population, adding that the United States could not understand or approve any system of government where the opposition is permitted to have no press, where political arrests are continually taking place and where there is no possibility for people freely to express their will in elections. The Secretary further said that he was unable to accept a contention put forth by Mr. Kolarov that the Bulgarian elections had been regarded by foreign correspondents as free and referred to the Ethridge report which showed that the opposition were not given full civil rights. He mentioned that his objective in the Moscow discussions regarding Bulgaria was to bring about conditions in Bulgaria under which the opposition could have such rights but that this objective had not thus far been achieved. In conclusion, Kolarov having stated that within three months Bulgaria would hold free and open elections with adequate guarantees for a Constituent Assembly, the Secretary expressed pleasure at that statement and said that he looked forward to its fulfillment and to the removal of obstacles which now exist to normal friendly relations not only between the Bulgarian and American people but between their governments.”
- Telegram 561, July 22, 1946, from Sofia, reported that the Opposition leaders had all expressed deep appreciation for the Department’s clarification of Kolarov’s conversation with the Secretary (874.00/7–1646). The statement had been broadcast over the Voice of America and had been made public in Sofia by Barnes.↩