874.00/12–645: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 7—1:47 p.m.]
740. Senior Regent Ganev sought a conversation with me last evening. He expressed deep concern over possible significance of Dimitrov’s interview (please see my 736 December 533). It is his view that Dimitrov spoke with Russian knowledge of fact that he would make a public statement on question of regime. That he did so in an interview for Yugoslav newspaper is interpreted by Ganev to mean that not only did Dimitrov speak as an instrument of Russian policy in Bulgaria but as an advocate of Russian-sponsored union of South Slavs. Ganev urges without reserve that US and UK act in sense of fourth paragraph mytel 730, December 3, both in Moscow and Sofia before Assembly convenes December 14 or 15. He believes Russian aggressiveness in the Balkans is part and parcel of worst situation confronting US and UK of which events in Iran and China are no more or no less symptomatic than developments here.
Repeated to Moscow as 334; sent Dept as 740.
- Not printed; it reported the interview with a correspondent of the Belgrade newspaper Borba. Georgi Dimitrov told the reporter what he thought the National Assembly should do, such as bringing the constitution “into line with FF democracy” by “removal of such conservative and harmful institutions as the monarchy”. (874.00/12–545)↩