769.00/1–1050: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Legation in Bulgaria
14. It now appears BulGovt will not demand ur recall in connection with allegations made during Rostov trial.2 Since our warning of Dec 123 had desired effect, we do not think it necessary to prolong controversy over the affair by making written reply to Bulg aide-mémoire of Dec 19 (Legtel 1110, Dec 19).4 Subj ur concurrence, Dept proposes you take advantage of suitable opportunity to make fol points orally to FonOff:
- 1.
- US Govt does not accept validity of certain statements contained in Bulg aide-mémoire of Dec 19. However, Bulg action in having ur denial printed in Bulg press seems to give ground for hope that Bulgovt understood seriousness with which US regarded Bulg conduct in this affair and desires restore US-Bulg relations to basis of internatl law and comity.
- 2.
- Ur Govt, however, must continue to call attn to unsatis record of BulGovt in hampering normal dipl and consular functions by such actions as delay in issuing visas, intimidation and persecution of Leg’s Bulg employees, restriction on travel and housing, and insistence on fixing number US personnel. These matters shld be ironed out without undue delay.
- 3.
- Relations cannot be considered as on satis basis unless BulGovt takes appropriate action to correct present situation.
You might mention, re Poptomov5 proposal of 25 as maximum for Leg staff (Legtel 15, Jan 66), that Dept and Leg have already carried through reduction in personnel at Sofia; and that, while you can assure FonOff that total will not go beyond neighborhood of 30, our position remains as stated by you to Kamenov Nov 22 (Legtel 970 Nov 227) and we cannot agree to arbitrary fixing of total of 25. You shld emphasize that US desirous of reaching a modus vivendi on this as on other outstanding matters mentioned in numbered para 3 above, but that willingness to abide by internatl practice is essential to solution and it is up to BulGovt to show such willingness.
- During December 1949 Traicho Kostov, former Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Bulgarian Communist Party Politburo member, and nine others were tried and convicted by a Bulgarian court of anti-State activities, treason, espionage, and sabotage. Kostov was executed on December 16, 1949. The indictment of Rostov and testimony made during the trial alleged that Minister Donald R. Heath had been involved in Rostov’s anti-State activities. Documentation regarding the trial and the false accusations against Minister Heath is printed ibid .↩
- On December 12, 1949, Under Secretary of State James C. Webb informed Dr. Peter Voutov, the Bulgarian Chargé, that the United States took a very serious view of the false accusations against Minister Heath. Under Secretary Webb’s memorandum of his conversation with Chargé Voutov is printed ibid., p. 373.↩
- The text of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister’s aide-mémoire of December 19, 1949, is printed ibid., p. 376.↩
- Vladimir Poptomov, Bulgarian Foreign Minister.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed. In it Minister Heath reported he had informed Bulgarian Assistant Foreign Minister Evgeni Kamenov the following American position, as instructed by the Department of State: (1) the United States was unwilling to engage in a process of bargaining on any specific number of Americans for its Legation staff; (2) for reasons of its own, the United States did desire to carry out a substantial reduction of its previously desired staff; (3) the ultimate size of the Legation staff, sufficient to perform such normal diplomatic and consular functions as remained feasible under restrictions imposed by the Bulgarian Government, would generally conform with the expressed desires of the Bulgarian Government; (4) the United States was unable to proceed with the realignment of its staff until the Bulgarian Government gave concrete evidence of its desire to cooperate, particularly by action on pending visa cases of Americans assigned to Legation (124.74/11–2249).↩