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

124.69/2–2150

The Secretary of State to the Bulgarian Chargé (Voutov)¹

The Secretary of State presents his compliments to the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of Bulgaria and refers to the Legation’s note No. 187 of January 19, 1950,² and to the United States Government’s reply of January 20, 1950,³ concerning the Bulgarian Government’s request for the recall from Bulgaria of the American Minister, Donald R. Heath.

Since the Bulgarian Government failed to reply to the United States Government’s note of January 20, 1950, the American Minister at Sofia delivered the following note to the Bulgarian Government on February 20, 1950:

“The Legation of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and has the honor to refer to the Legation’s note of January 20, 1950, in reply to the note delivered by the Bulgarian Legation in Washington to the Department of State on January 19, 1950, requesting the recall from Bulgaria of the American Minister, Mr. Donald R. Heath, as persona non grata.

As indicated in the statements of the Under Secretary of State, James E. Webb, to the Bulgarian Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Washington on December 12, 1949, the United States Government took a most serious view of the Bulgarian Government’s conduct toward Minister Heath in connection with the trial of Traicho Rostov and others, in particular the charges against Mr. Heath, the falsity of which the Bulgarian Government itself was in a position to ascertain. The Under Secretary made it quite clear that these accusations, coming as they did on top of a long series of intolerable restrictions and indignities to which the American Legation in Bulgaria had been subjected, inevitably affected relations between the two countries and compelled the United States Government to warn the Bulgarian Government that it could not ignore such deliberate and unwarranted actions which were in complete disregard of normal practice in the conduct of international relations.

The Bulgarian Government, however, persisted in its course of conduct. On January 19, 1950, it requested the immediate recall of Minister Heath from Bulgaria on the grounds that, by alleged “contacts” with Rostov and others, he had “allowed himself to take action not in line with his diplomatic functions” and thus had “shown abrupt interference in the interior affairs of the People’s Re public of Bulgaria concerning its sovereignty as well as its national security”. This action on the part of the Bulgarian Government, in putting forward wholly unfounded charges against the principal diplomatic representative of the United States as the basis of a demand for his recall, could be taken by the United States Government only as confirmation of the mounting evidence that the Bulgarian Government was unwilling, in its relations with the United States, to observe accepted standards of international comity.

The United States Government, in its note of January 20, 1950, stated that unless the Bulgarian Government withdrew its note of January 19 and demonstrated its willingness to observe established international standards of conduct, the United States Government must conclude that the Bulgarian Government did not desire to maintain normal relations. Over a period of four weeks the Bulgarian Government did not have the courtesy to reply. On February 16, 1950, it was advised by the Department of State that the long delay had created a situation which could not continue indefinitely and was requested to reply immediately.⁴ No reply has been received. The conclusion is inescapable that the Bulgarian Government is unwilling to modify the position it has taken; that it is unwilling to treat American official representatives in Bulgaria in accordance with the standards of established international practice; and, consequently, that it is unwilling to maintain normal diplomatic relations with the United States.

Diplomatic relations between the United States and the post-war Government of Bulgaria, since their establishment in September 1947, have not been on a basis which could be called friendly or cordial. Cordiality was scarcely to be expected when Bulgarian officials and the controlled press were constantly denouncing and insulting the United States, and when the Bulgarian Government was violating its Peace Treaty obligations, ignoring resolutions of the United Nations, and supporting armed action against Greece. It was the hope of the United States Government, however, that relations, if not cordial, at least might be correct. But the treatment accorded to the American Legation in Sofia, including crippling restrictions on the entry and movement of American officials assigned to the Legation and an unprincipled campaign of persecution against the Legation’s Bulgarian employees, left no doubt that the Bulgarian Government did not accept even the minimum standards of international practice.

Despite all these difficulties the United States Government wished to maintain diplomatic contact with Bulgaria because of the sincere desire of the American people to work toward better understanding with the Bulgarian people, with whom ties of friendship have linked them in the past.

The Government of the United States will continue to maintain its feeling of friendship for the people of Bulgaria and to manifest in every appropriate way its deep interest in their welfare. The Government of the United States, however, is reluctantly compelled to conclude that it is no longer possible, in view of the present attitude of the Bulgarian Government, for the American Minister and his staff to remain in Bulgaria. They have received instructions to leave Bulgaria as soon as possible. At the same time, the Government of the United States requests the recall of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission from the United States.”⁵

Washington, February 21, 1950.

1. Bulgarian Chargé Voutov was called to the Department of State to receive this note at 11 a. m. on February 21. At that time, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thompson also handed to Voutov a separate note containing assurances that the Department of State would do everything possible to remove any difficulties which might arise in connection with Voutov’s departure. Thompson expressed the hope that similar protection would be given to American personnel in Sofia. Voutov, who was assured that there was no deadline for his departure from the United States, stated that he planned to sail from New York on March 3. (Memorandum of conversation by Thompson, February 21: 711.69/2–2150)

   The Department of State had originally planned to make delivery of this note on February 20 at approximately the same time the Legation in Sofia was delivering its note (quoted in the note printed here) to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. Although the Legation’s note was in fact physically delivered on the morning of February 20, it was, in effect, held in abeyance during the remainder of that day while the Legation sought to determine whether the Bulgarian Foreign Minister or his deputy might still agree to receive Minister Heath for an interview. No such interview eventuated, however. For Minister Heath’s reports on the circumstances attending the delivery of the Legation’s note, see telegrams 260 and 266, February 21, from Sofia, pp. 521 and 522.

2. Ante, p. 504
3. Ante, p. 507.
4. See Thompson’s memorandum of conversation, February 16, p. 513.
5. In addition to the note quoted here, three other Legation notes were delivered to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry at noon of February 20: (1) a note stating that the Swiss Government had been requested to assume protection of United States interests in Bulgaria; (2) a note requesting exit visas for Legation American personnel and asking that all possible assistance be given to facilitate the departure of the staff; (3) a note stating that the Legation was notifying private American citizens in Bulgaria of the withdrawal of the Legation, and requesting the Bulgarian Government to grant all facilities to American citizens wishing to depart from Bulgaria. None of these notes are printed. The texts were transmitted to Department of State as enclosures to despatch 90, February 21, from Sofia, not printed (603.5469/2–2150).