740.00119 Council/8–2946: Telegram
The United States Delegation at the Paris Peace Conference to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received August 30—7:25 a.m.]
4333. Delsec 873. The Secretary received the Bulgarian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on Tuesday65a and had a one and a half hour conversation with them. Matthews and Barnes were present.
Georgiev made much of valor of Bulgarian Army in this effort thereby giving Secretary opportunity to make point that American opinion cannot reconcile Bulgaria’s contention of contribution made by its army to final victory over Germany and fact that it has recently been considered necessary for political reasons by present Bulgarian Govt drastically to purge army. In this connection reference was made to predicament in which War Minister Damian Veltchev finds himself. Georgiev made much of recent manifestations of conspiratorial ideas and activities among officers, but before topic had been finished it was clear that Communist doubts of army’s willingness to accept Communist domination of state had been controlling in decision to purge army.
Georgiev sought to give an historical account of development of Fascism and other pernicious influences in Bulgarian political and military life. In reply Secretary said he was interested primarily in what could be done about present state of affairs and no so much in how present state of affairs had come about. He said he had made serious effort in December 1945 at Moscow to contribute to solution [Page 137] of Bulgarian problem but that Bulgarian Govt had not sought to profit by this effort. He pointed out that at Yalta the USSR, UK, and US had assumed certain obligations not only with respect to peoples of liberated countries but also with respect to their own peoples and that it was for this reason that he had made such a determined effort at Moscow. He said Bulgarian Govt had not aided him in justifying effort he had made and that Bulgarian Govt must realize that he, the Secretary, must remain faithful before American people to obligations that had been accepted in their name at Yalta.
Georgiev said he must frankly state that political conditions in Bulgaria were unsatisfactory and that instead of seeking to justify he was merely trying to explain how matters had reached their present state. He admitted inconveniences and even great difficulties caused by Communists. He pointed out that on other hand country had profited from presence of Communists in Govt, for example thanks to them there have been no labor troubles during past 2 years.
He deplored departure from Government of leaders who are now known as the Fatherland Front opposition and in doing so agreed that much of what they complained was true. Again Secretary reminded Mr. Georgiev that he was more interested in solving problem than in learning how problem had arisen. On various occasions throughout conversation Secretary made point that more important than what treaty might or might not contain was whether or not a state of affairs could be brought about in Bulgaria which would permit him to sign treaty. He reminded Prime Minister that treaty must be ratified and in this connection said if he were to be asked by Senate whether he considered present Government of Bulgaria to correspond with what Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Stalin had had in mind at Yalta as a government for Bulgaria, he would have to reply in negative.
Georgiev admitted that Russians had placed very narrow interpretation on Moscow accord. He said his own interpretation had been about halfway between the Russians and that of US and UK. He reviewed negotiations with opposition and said that it was his impression that demands of opposition would make impossible implementation of Moscow accord before elections for Grand National Assembly on October 27. Just as Secretary earlier in conversation had urged that Army officers who had fought so valiantly against Germany should be forgiven with respect to their earlier biases in same spirit that Bulgaria was asking Allied Powers to overlook Bulgaria’s role in early stages of war, he urged at this point that serious effort be made to conciliate opposition so that he might be able to describe Bulgarian Govt to American people as representative of Bulgarian [Page 138] people and as competent to engage whole of Bulgarian people in carrying out peace.
Secretary said presence of Opposition in government that conducts elections for Grand National Assembly and existence of Opposition press that could freely express itself on election issues would go far to overcome general impression of past year and a half of dictatorial government in Bulgaria. He pointed out that Hitler had gained 95 percent of vote in elections that had had the appearance of being free but that no one had been fooled; that only presence of Opposition in Government and free press would go far to overcome harm done by conditions now obtaining in Bulgaria and that have been developing in their present state for many months.
Secretary told Mr. Georgiev he had in mind having further talk on this matter with Mr. Molotov and Mr. Vyshinsky.
Repeated Sofia as 35.
- August 27.↩