Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

123 Heath, Donald R.

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Thompson)

secret

[Washington,] January 20, 1950.

Participants:	Dr. Peter Voutov, Chargé d’Affaires of Bulgaria;
	Mr. Llewellyn E. Thompson, EUR;
	Mr. John C. Campbell, EE.1

Dr. Voutov called at 12 o’clock at the Department’s request in order to receive the reply to his Government’s demand for the recall of the American Minister in Sofia.² I told him that, as he might well understand, we were very much shocked to receive the Legation’s note yesterday containing this demand. I handed him the Department’s reply³ which he then read without change of expression. I explained that this note was being delivered today to his Government by the American Legation in Sofia and that we were providing him with a copy as a matter of courtesy since this was a reply to the note delivered by the Legation.

I said that the Department considered it unfortunate that the Bulgarian note had appeared in the press. I said that we did not know whether the Bulgarian Legation had released it. Dr. Voutov said that he had not done so; when a New York Times correspondent had telephoned him about it yesterday, he had refused to comment. I then said that if the substance of the note had reached the press through the Department, this had taken place by means of a “leak” and was not the result of a decision on the part of the Department. However, since the public was now informed concerning the Bulgarian note, I said that we would find it necessary to release our reply to it very shortly.⁴ I pointed out that his Government was deceiving the text of the note today in Sofia. Dr. Voutov stated that he and his Government regarded it as improper, for a Government to publish diplomatic communications before they reach the Government to which they are addressed. He recalled the statement made to him by Mr. Webb on December 12.⁵ Before he even got to his car, he said, the reporters had the full story of the interview. He recalled that in replying to the statement made to him by Mr. Webb, his Government had rightly characterized our handling of this matter as not in conformity with international practice.

Dr. Voutov looked again at the note and said that it was very strong. He said that it was his personal view and the view of his Government that Mr. Heath did have contacts with Rostov and Tsonchev who had been found guilty of treason. He said that the Bulgarian Government had originally regarded Heath as a friend and that Assistant Foreign Minister Kamenov had been on quite friendly terms with him. He knew that the Bulgarian Government would not have asked for his recall if the request were not justified because of Mr. Heath’s abuse of his diplomatic position. I replied that the United States, as Mr. Webb had made clear on December 12 to Dr. Voutov himself, was convinced that the charges against Mr. Heath were false and that the Bulgarian Government knew them to be false. Dr. Voutov referred to a statement made by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Poptomov about a month ago to the effect that those foreign governments whose representatives were implicated in the conspiracies uncovered by the Rostov trial should take the action which was required by the circumstances. The United States, said Dr. Voutov, had had 30 to 35 days to take such action. However, instead of recalling its Minister, the United States had done nothing. Therefore, the Bulgarian Government had quite properly requested his recall.

Dr. Voutov stated that the terms of the United States note seemed to mean the end of diplomatic relations between the two countries. I stated that the Bulgarian Government by its own conduct had indicated clearly to us that it did not desire to maintain normal relations. Dr. Voutov said that this was not so. He said that the Bulgarian Government wished to maintain relations. It believed that the United States Government should recall Mr. Heath and replace him with a new Minister.

Before leaving Dr. Voutov said that he would be in communication with his Government on this matter and that if it had anything further to communicate to the Department through him, he would get in touch with us. If these developments meant that he would soon be going home, he said in conclusion with a faint smile, “okay”.

Llewellyn E. Thompson

1. Officer in Charge of Balkan Affairs, Office of Eastern European Affairs.
2. Bulgarian Legation note verbale, January 19, supra.
3. Infra.
4. The Secretary’s note of January 20 (infra) was in fact released to the press that same day.
5. Under Secretary of State Webb’s memorandum of his conversation with Chargé Voutov on December 12, 1949, is printed in Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. v, p. 373.