740.0011 EW Peace/4–1847: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
248. My British colleague and I called yesterday afternoon on Russian Minister to discuss implementation and enforcement Bulgarian peace treaty (remytel 215, April 41). Kirsanov remained noncommittal throughout most of discussion which lasted for hour and half. He was obviously seeking to draw out detailed views from us while generally maintaining position himself that as Ministers will doubtless rarely be called upon to act under Articles 35 and 36, there would seem to be no real need to set up much if any of an organization.
In general way, Sterndale Bennett canvassed most of points covered in Foreign Office note February 26 reported London’s telegram 1363, February 28. I suggested we might each appoint two temporary deputies one on civilian or economic side and other on military side to make report to three of us as to what seemed feasible and necessary in way of organization. Kirsanov said he thought this was probably way to proceed should we decide some sort of formal organization might prove necessary, but that he was as yet unconvinced of this. We agreed to think matter over individually for several days and have another meeting before my departure for France and US on April 22 if in meantime anyone of three arrived at definite and detailed ideas to present. I personally remain of opinion expressed mytel’s 23, January 2, [10] and 58 January 22.
Sent Dept, repeated London as 35, Moscow 35, Budapest 8, Bucharest 15.
- Telegram 214, April 4, from Sofia, not printed, reported that Representative Barnes had addressed letters to British Representative Sterndale Bennett and to Soviet Minister Stepan Pavlovich Kirsanov suggesting a meeting to discuss the implementation of the Peace Treaty with Bulgaria. In telegram 215, April 4, from Sofia, not printed, Representative Barnes stated that he anticipated a lengthy series of delays and wrangling on the part of the Soviet authorities before the procedure to implement the treaty was settled (740.0011 EW (Peace)/4–447).↩