Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume IV

711.74114A/4–745

The War Department to the Department of State

Washington, 7 April 1945.

Memorandum for Special War Problems Division, Department of State

Atn: Mr. E. Tomlin Bailey¹³

1. There has come to hand your third person note of 2 April 1945, SWP 711.74114 A/3–2345,¹⁴ inclosing a dispatch from the American Diplomatic Mission, Sofia, Bulgaria,¹⁵ which inquires as to the views of the War Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff concerning the trial of Bulgarian Army personnel accused of mistreating American prisoners of war.

2. The Commanding General, Mediterranean Theater of Operations,¹⁶ on 17 March 1945 recommended that the cases of all Bulgarian nationals charged with the commission of war crimes against American prisoners of war be remitted to the Bulgarian authorities for immediate trial.

3. On 24 March 1945 the War Department directed the theater to press for an expedited disposition of these trials and asked for a report to the War Department as to the approximate date when these cases may be brought to trial.

4. The foregoing action conforms to the policy theretofore established in coordination with representatives of your Department, for turning the trial of these cases over to the Bulgarians.

R. W. Berry

Brigadier General, GSC
Deputy, AC/S, G–1¹⁷

13. Mr. Bailey had been Assistant to the Department representative on the joint State and War Department mission to liberated prisoner-of-war and concentration camps in Europe and became Assistant Chief of the Special War Problems Division (SWP) on May 1.
14. Not printed.
15. Telegram 160, March 23, 1945, 5 p.m., not printed.
16. Lt. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, U.S.A.
17. Personnel Division, War Department General Staff.