740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/12–745: Telegram
The United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—9:58 p.m.]
744. The Fatherland Front campaign of insinuation and innuendo against US policy in support of implementation of Yalta Declaration in Bulgaria has gone so far that after careful reflection taking into account local astonishment over fact that under armistice regime press and spokesmen of parties comprising Front can allow themselves such license at expense of US and having consulted with General Crane I sent last night following message to Stainov:
“I am sure that as a friend you will understand my growing concern over the resort to insinuation and innuendo by some of the Sofia newspapers in their discussion of the development of Bulgaria’s relations with the US. Today I read a translation from the Fatherland Front newspaper of the account given therein of the address [Page 405] made yesterday to the Congress of railway workers and sailors by Mr. Georgi Dimitrov. I have in mind that part of the speech relating to the problem of concluding peace. I believe that as a sincere friend of Bulgaria I should tell you that I have expressed the opinion to Washington34 that there is something utterly incongruous in a state of affairs that permits of such disregard for the fact of the armistice relationship existing between the three great Allies and Bulgaria as has come to my attention in recent weeks in the form of articles in the local press and public addresses by Bulgarians of note and position.”
I hope this message will cause Stainov to advise his associates in the Govt and the FF press that efforts to improve relations with US should be left to competent authorities of Govt or at any rate that market place haggling and vilification cannot serve best interests of a defeated people and state. Contrast between reasonableness and moderation of position we have taken in Austria (infotel December 5, 10 a.m.35) and local Communist and Russian intransigence toward our views with respect to Bulgarian affairs is so striking as to merit in my opinion an effort to bring this point home to Moscow.