Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, Eastern Europe, The Soviet Union, Volume VI

740.00119 Council/9–1346: Telegram

The United States Delegation at the Paris Peace Conference to the Acting Secretary of State⁶⁹

secret
us urgent

Paris, September 13, 1946—11 a.m.
[Received September 13—7:46 a.m.]

4598. Delsec 944. Quoted below is the substance of a memorandum concerning the political situation in Bulgaria submitted to the Secretary by Barnes.

The proposed line of action is approved. Please ask General Robertson to act accordingly. It is assumed that he will consult with his British colleague as to similar action by British representative on ACC.

“Attached memorandum⁷⁰ and telegrams⁷¹ are descriptive of deplorable political inequality and oppression under which opposition in Bulgaria is compelled to operate by Communist, minority-dominated government. The memorandum was prepared as background for the Secretary’s appeal to Bulgarian Prime Minister to go back to his country and correct conditions as best possible to assure something in nature of free elections for Grand National Assembly, now scheduled for October 27.

Prime Minister Georgiev has now been back in Bulgaria for 10 days. Information keeps coming in from Sofia showing no improvement in conditions there. In fact, it appears that Georgiev returned to find situation even more restrictive of possibility of doing something in sense urged by Secretary than were conditions when he left Paris. At any rate, according to most recent reports from our Mission, the Communists are now so distrustful of Zvenos, the Prime Minister’s party, and so confident that with Russian backing they can exercise completely free hand, as to be planning elimination of Zveno from the Government. In this situation Prime Minister seems to be more concerned with saving his own political hide, if possible, than in carrying out his promise to assure free elections. To this end he has had a circular distributed to all Zveno leaders warning against any opposition to Communists and urging expulsion from party of all who are critical of Communists.

Generals Robertson and Oxley (US and UK representatives on the ACC) have raised the question of US and UK responsibilities if they continue to sit on Commission without lifting their voices against the conditions about which Secretary complained in his conversation with Prime Minister and with respect to which Prime Minister promised improvement.

In these circumstances, it is recommended that General Robertson be instructed:

(1) To carry out directive given him before Secretary’s conversation with the Bulgarian Prime Minister to seek to visit the prisons and internment camps and to solicit a talk with War Minister Damian Veltchev (now restrained on Communist insistence to a small village near Bourgas) as to political conditions actually obtaining in country.

(2) To request of Acting President of ACC that all party leaders be heard by Commission. This includes Opposition leaders.

(3) To request special meeting of ACC to consider what steps along following lines might be taken by Commission to assure free elections for Grand National Assembly on October 27:

(a) Freedom of press, radio and assembly for Opposition;

(b) Non-interference of militia, either with candidates or voters, except to maintain law and order;

(c) Release of political prisoners, or open formulation of charges against them;

(d) Removal of threat of post-election retaliation for political reasons.

The effects of such steps would, of course, be greatly increased if publicity were given to these démarches both inside and outside of Bulgaria. The ACC should also be notified that full publicity will be given to its decisions on all points raised. Publicity on démarches and decisions with respect thereto would be given only on direction of Secretary after full reports had reached him.”

Documents mentioned in first paragraph of quoted text are Barnes’ memo of which General Robertson has copy and telegrams numbers 37 and 38 to Sofia (Delsec 885 and 891) dated August 31 and September 3.

Barnes returning Sofia earliest possible.⁷² Please telegraph when General Robertson’s plane can pick him up at Paris, Rome, or Naples.

Repeated London as 681 for communication substance to FonOff.⁷³ Dept please repeat to Sofia for action as our No. 39 and to Moscow as our No. 353.

69. This telegram was repeated by the Department to Moscow and Sofia.
70. Memorandum from Barnes to the Secretary of State, August 23, p. 133.
71. Telegrams 4383, Delsec 885, August 31, and 4399, Delsec 891, September 3, both from Paris, pp. 139 and 140, respectively.
72. Barnes returned to Sofia on September 25.
73. Telegram 8263, September 19, 1946, from London, reported that the points raised in Barnes’ memorandum had caused the Foreign Office to consider the whole question of future relations with Bulgaria and that it had been decided that Bevin would deal with the question directly with the Secretary of State (740.00119 Council/9–1946).