740.0011 EW Peace/9–2848: Telegram
The Minister in Bulgaria (Heath) to the Secretary of State
1226. Through repetition on VOUSA and discreet circulation here text of aide-mémoire (Embtel 1203, September 23) on Bulgarian regime’s violation Peace Treaty and cooperation in guerrilla war against Greek Government has become known and brought some hope to wide circles Bulgaria’s opposition masses.
We assume consideration is being given by Department further action consequent on presentation of aide-mémoire. It is hoped and [Page 377] recommended that on occasion of presumed discussion in Security Council, Bulgaria’s renewed application for UN membership and also in Assembly discussion of admission of Italy, Eire, Portugal and Ceylon that US and other delegations will express their views on quality and character of Bulgarian regime.
It is hoped that majority report of Security Council’s undoubted rejection Bulgaria’s application will be an unmistakable censure of Bulgarian regime for having flaunted its obligations under Peace Treaty to secure for Bulgarian people the human rights and freedoms and for having failed establish a democratic regime as envisaged at Yalta1—a regime which would be qualified to joint concert of civilized nations in UN. If feasible language of rejection might list minimum conditions for admission into UN (which would be merely reverse of Bulgaria’s many violations of principles of freedom and human rights) and which should include creation of a representative government, a recodification of laws to bring them into conformity with universal principles of justice, cessation of abuse of police and judical power and freeing of thousands now in slavery internment or in prison.
It is also hoped that Bulgarian Communist tyranny will receive attention during discussion of draft declaration and convention on human rights and again upon prospective presentation of memo on oppression of Eastern European masses by G. M. Dimitrov and other leaders of International Peasant Union.
Pages three to eleven of proposed démarche on Article Two of Peace Treaty transmitted Legation despatch 11 January 162 listed in detail the known violations of Article Two. Legation is now bringing up-to-date that list of derogations of human rights and freedoms and this revision will be forwarded by next pouch to Department and Gadel together with dossier of other pertinent material which may be of value in possible debate. Since Bulgarian violations of Article Two lie for most part and originally in series of repressive and tyrannical legislation, the question of confirming evidence is simple. It rests in Bulgarian law books themselves and Legation report will include it.
Such a publicized moral offensive against this Bulgarian province of Soviet tyranny would appear to coincide with “freedom” key notes struck by Secretary in his recent address to General Assembly. We believe emphasis especially should be placed on implication that “governments which systematically disregarded the rights of their own people are not likely respect rights of other nations and other people and likely to seek their objectives by coercion and force in international field”.
[Page 378]Obviously, this action before General Assembly will not in itself cause any serious moderation of tyrannical minority regime now ruling Bulgaria but it should help create foundation and hope for change and should stand in a sense as a credo for freedom-loving masses now under oppression. In this connection, Legation reports its earlier observation that while by reason its geographical position Bulgaria is one of most dangerous outposts of Soviet aggression, it is at same time one of most vulnerable and accessible of Soviet satellites.
- For documentation regarding the meeting of heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, held at Yalta, February 4–11, 1945. see Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945. ↩
- Not printed.↩