868.48/11–944
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
As the Department of State are aware, the Greek Government have submitted to His Majesty’s Ambassador in Athens a list of foodstuffs, live stock and other items which they wish the Bulgarian Government to hand over immediately as supplies to meet Greece’s urgent needs for relief and rehabilitation. A similar list containing most of the items shown in the list handed to His Majesty’s Ambassador in Athens had already been presented to the European Advisory Commission by the Greek Ambassador in London.
Since the Greek claim against the Bulgarian Government for reparation is indisputable and in view of the serious economic and supply position in Greece, it is, in the opinion of His Majesty’s Government, desirable that deliveries from Bulgaria should start with a minimum of delay. The Protocol attached to the Bulgarian Armistice provides for immediate deliveries of foodstuffs from Bulgaria to Greece, and the Greek claim to other goods by way of reparation is fully covered by Article 9 of the Armistice.
The Greek demands were taken up by His Majesty’s representative on the European Advisory Commission on October 28th. Sir William Strang proposed to his American and Russian colleagues that the Commission should recommend that the Allied Control Commission in Bulgaria be instructed to examine the Greek claims and report on the possibility of making the deliveries desired by the Greek Government, the value of which would be taken into account in the final settlement of enemy states’ liability for damage caused in Greece.
However, in view of the urgent need of getting supplies to Greece and in order to avoid the possibility that reference back to the European Advisory Commission might cause delay, the Foreign Office sent instructions on November 6th to Sir Archibald Clark Kerr to see M. Molotov51 and to invite the Soviet Government to send instructions immediately to the Soviet head of the Control Commission in [Page 488] Bulgaria53 to arrange the immediate delivery of foodstuffs in accordance with the protocol to the Armistice, and also to examine the list of items submitted by the Greek Government. Sir Archibald Clark Kerr was to say that the British representative on the Control Commission would be instructed to cooperate fully in this task and that His Majesty’s Ambassador in Athens was being requested, after consultation with the military authorities, to telegraph to Sofia a list giving the order of priority in which the goods required by the Greek Government should be delivered.
In informing the Department of State of the foregoing, the British Embassy have been instructed to express the hope of His Majesty’s Government that the United States Government will feel able to instruct the United States Chargé d’Affaires in Moscow to associate himself with Sir Archibald Clark Kerr’s representations to the Soviet Government.