868.00/5–2349: Telegram
The Minister in Bulgaria (Heath) to the Acting Secretary of State
429. Legation thoroughly agrees with Rusk statement quoted Department’s bulletin May 201 that main issue is the illegal activities of Greece’s northern neighbors in furnishing assistance to rebels in Greece.
Gromyko’s suggestions of supervised elections, international border control and withdrawal military assistance all seem to constitute new departure in Soviet policy. Hitherto Soviet representatives have argued that international supervision of internal, political and military developments constitutes unjustified invasion of national sovereignty. Gromyko’s suggestions therefore might be exploited with good propaganda effect. His suggestions would be acceptable on one condition that they be applied equally to Bulgaria and Albania.
Suggestion of new elections is presumably based on correct theory that peoples’ will is for peace and that in free (necessarily supervised) campaigns and free elections people would select governments that would implement this will. All three governments are involved whether defensively or offensively in covert international war. It is appropriate and indeed necessary that Bulgaria and Albania as well as Greece elect new governments to insure implementation of policy of peace.
An international commission for border controls is also a necessary measure but since there are accusations—and evidence—that both parties have violated frontiers the control area must also include frontier regions of Bulgaria and Albania. Such inspection would also meet requirements of Bulgarian peace treaty (Article 12) that no fortifications or installations capable conducting or directing fire into Greek territory shall exist.
If in interest of peace, military assistance both material and personnel should withdraw from Greece it is equally necessary to assure there is no foreign military material or personnel in Bulgaria and Albania which might be made available to Greek guerrillas whose cause is not only openly sympathized in but admittedly aided (declaration of Greek Communist Party on January 30–312) by the “popular [Page 337] democracies.” There should be therefore an international commission with full powers and freedom to verify the absence or withdrawal of foreign military assistance in Bulgaria and Albania as well.
Sent Department 429; repeated Athens 19, London 8; pouched Belgrade, Paris.
- The reference here is to the statement issued to the press by the Department of State on May 20, identified in the editorial note, p. 329.↩
- The reference here is to the Fifth Session of the Central Committee of the Greek Communist Party which is discussed in footnote 1 to telegram 161, February 16, from Belgrade, p. 250.↩