874.00/11–2645: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 27—10 p.m.]
718. Socialist Min of Commerce, Neikov, called on me this morning and stayed for three and a half hours. (I have seen quite a bit of him in recent weeks in connection with Coleman’s18 barter agreement for Bulgarian tobacco which was signed November 17—this will be subject of separate telegram) I had supposed Neikov sought conversation to reassure himself that Coleman deal would not be upset by our attitude toward elections and present Bulgarian Government. On this point I told him there had never been any connection in my mind between our political relations with Bulgaria and Coleman’s efforts to purchase tobacco. I said that I saw no reason why such a relationship should now be established and that I had received no news from Washington indicating any disposition there to tie two things together.
During course of our conversation I came to conclusion that Neikov, while anxious to know whether United States Government was disposed to relate Coleman deal and our political relations with Bulgaria, [Page 396] had come primarily as emissary of Cabinet to learn what he could about our reaction to local political situation now that elections had been held. I told him that our note of November 16 spoke for itself. Then on purely personal basis I talked on lines suggested in mytel 716, November 24. Min said he and his party were fully aware of difficulty into which FF Bulgaria had gotten itself and that some means must be found to extricate Front from impossible situation of being unable to regularize Bulgaria’s relations with western democracies. He said that on this point he thought he could also speak for majority of opinion within government and he liked idea of limiting legislative program of newly elected Assembly. He thought that if Assembly were allowed to remain in session for a month or two to accomplish limited program it might then be possible to reorganize government on broader basis, dismiss Parliament and call new elections for ordinary Assembly which would prepare agenda for Grand National Assembly and fix the date for elections to that constituent body. He said that in month or two much could be accomplished to neutralize Min of Interior by appointment of provincial and district officials from non-Communist parties and increasing influence of non-Communist parties within and over militia. He does not believe that Communists will for long time to come agree to non-Communist Min of Interior.
I told Neikov that of course United States Government would be pleased with any and all developments that foster growth of civil and human liberties and that United States was in no way motivated by hostility to Communist Party in Bulgaria or Russia’s legitimate interests in this country and that United States most certainly was not seeking locally the appearance of a victory for its policy over Russia or of victory of one democratic element at the expense of another. I said that all we seek is implementation in Bulgaria of Yalta Declaration; that when we can honestly say that a government representative of majority of democratic opinion in the country is in power, we shall not concern ourselves unduly over events that have led to accomplishment of this fact. I then had read to Minister Bulgarian translation of Secretary Byrnes’ address on “Neighboring Nations in One World.”20
At this point we got onto the difficulty of dealing openly and frankly with Russians in matters touching areas that Moscow considers of preponderant interest to Russia. This came up in connection with question of who and how could initiative be taken looking to limitation of present Assembly’s legislative program, to reorganization of government on broader basis within month or two and to new elections. Minister said that he fully realized that suggestions coming from Bulgarian leaders direct to Moscow Government were likely to [Page 397] be much better received than observations that we might make to Kremlin. He said he thought initiative should come from National Committee of FF and that any party belonging to Front might appropriately raise matter in National Committee by expressing concern over present state Bulgaria’s relations with three great Allies—a state of affairs which apparently precludes hope of early conclusion of peace.
The Minister sought my permission to acquaint is party colleagues of ideas exchanged. I told him that he had full liberty to do so if he explained that we had been merely thinking aloud in purely personal conversation. I added that neither United States Government nor I personally had anything to hide in connection with our views about present situation in Bulgaria and legitimate interests of Russia in Bulgaria. He then asked me if he were free to talk with his Communist Party colleagues and other colleagues in government and in FF about our conversation. It was at this point that I became definitely convinced that Neikov was acting as emissary of government and possibly of FF Committee to find way to resume informal exchanges of views with us now that elections had taken place in manner we consider did not meet test of Yalta. I told the Minister that he was free to quote me to whomever he wished to effect that United States is not hostile in any way to Communists per se, that it is and always has been aware of Russia’s special security and cultural interests in this area and that United States policy with respect to Bulgaria seeks nothing more than what was set forth in Secretary Byrnes’ speech of October 31.
The Minister left, asserting that he would have further conversations with me in near future.
Sent Department as 718, repeated Moscow as 325 and Bucharest as 24.