840.51 FC 74/4–1645: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes)
97. From State and Treasury. (1) Postal and telecommunication service between the United States and Bulgaria was resumed on March 80, 1945.22 Similar action was taken with respect to Rumania on that date, although telecommunication service is not yet available with Rumania.
(2) As you know, Bulgaria is included within the definition of enemy territory contained in Treasury’s General Ruling No. 11, which prohibits any form of business or commercial communication or intercourse between persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and persons in Bulgaria. However, simultaneously with the resumption of communications with Bulgaria and Rumania, Treasury amended Public Circular No. 25 to include these two countries. Such public circular exempts from the provisions of General Ruling No. 11:
- (a)
- Any communication of a financial, commercial, or business character with any person within any part of the territory of Italy, Bulgaria or Rumania controlled or occupied by the military, naval, or police forces or other authority of any of the United Nations;
- (b)
- Any act or transaction involving any such communication;
- (c)
- Any act or transaction for the benefit or on behalf of any such person.
Bulgaria will continue to be regarded as enemy territory under General Ruling No. 11 in view of her declaration of war against the United States, even though communications with Bulgaria are exempted from the special restrictions of the General Ruling. Bulgaria and nationals thereof will continue to be subject otherwise to the freezing orders and the regulations and rulings issued thereunder. Accordingly, Treasury licenses will no longer be required for business [Page 188] and financial communications limited to the exchange of information and the ascertainment of fact. Outgoing transactional communications to Bulgaria will continue to require Treasury licenses, as will all financial or property transactions involving the interests of Bulgaria or nationals thereof.
(3) The public circular prohibits the use of General Licenses Nos. 32 and 33 for support remittances to individuals within Bulgaria. However, with respect to remittances for living expenses or for the protection and maintenance of property in Bulgaria please refer to our No. 61 of March 10, 1945.23
(4) In general, it will be Treasury’s policy to authorize persons and firms in the United States to send transactional communications to Bulgaria for the preservation, maintenance and management of their property in Bulgaria, including the sale of such property.
(5) A substantial part of Bulgarian assets in the United States have been vested by the United States Government. As indicated above, those assets not so vested are blocked and cannot be used except pursuant to Treasury license.
The United States Government has not as yet reached any decision with respect to the ultimate disposition of vested or blocked pre-liberation Bulgarian assets in the United States. Consequently, Treasury will not in general authorize any transaction the effect of which would be to deplete such blocked assets. However, Treasury will permit Bulgarian assets which have not been vested to be managed, maintained, and preserved by private persons acting pursuant to authorizations or instructions from the Bulgarian owners. It is suggested, therefore, that the authorities in Bulgaria should consider taking appropriate steps to prohibit the sending to the United States of transfer orders, payment instructions, and transactional communications in general other than those having to do with the maintenance, management and preservation of blocked Bulgarian assets here. It should also be noted that the importation into the United States from Bulgaria of currency, securities, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments will continue to be specifically prohibited by General Rulings Nos. 5 and 5A. Please inform us of the restrictions which are in effect in Bulgaria, or are contemplated, for controlling the exportation and importation of currency, securities, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments, particularly those designated in currency other than Bulgarian.
Sent to Sofia; repeated by airgram to London.
- Telegram 7, January 4, 1945, noon, from Sofia had reported that the Allied (Soviet) Control Commission on December 31 had granted permission for the reestablishment of such communications with Allied countries and that the Bulgarian authorities had telegraphed the Postmaster General in Washington requesting that such communications be reestablished (740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/1–445).↩
- Not printed.↩