868.00/7–2147
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Ref: G58/—/47
Aide-Mémoire
The British Foreign Secretary is disturbed lest, with Soviet support, the Bulgarian and Yugoslav Governments may take advantage of the present disturbances and arrests in Greece to promote a new state of Macedonia, including Greek Macedonia, either in the form of a unit of the Yugoslav Federation or in association with a Yugoslav-Bulgarian Federation; thus extending the Soviet orbit to the Aegean.
2. The Attached copy (Annex A) of a despatch from His Majesty’s Ambassador at Paris1 records his Turkish colleague’s fear that the formation of such a state is once more being mooted. Furthermore, an article2 (Annex B) attributed to the Greek Communist, leader Zachariades, which appeared in the Greek newspaper Rizospastis on the 12th of July, following closely upon the recent speech of Porphyrogenis to European Communist leaders at Strasbourg, makes it clear that it is an aim of the Greek Communists and their allies to [Page 249] establish a “Free Greece” (which might in practice become a “Free Macedonia”).
3. In their Aide-Mémoire of the 2nd January 19453 (a copy of which is attached (Annex C) for convenience of reference), His Majesty’s Embassy made known to the U.S. Government the views of His Majesty’s Government in the U.K. on this question. A similar communication was made to the Soviet, Yugoslav and Bulgarian Governments. In their reply of the 24th February 19454 (Annex D), the State Department indicated that the U.S. Government were broadly in accord with the British views. The Soviet Government were evasive in their reply.
4. Despite further representations, the Soviet attitude has remained equivocal. It is to the effect that the problem is not of immediate or practical importance. Nor has anything happened in the area to dispel the fear that Communist policy still aims at detaching Macedonian territories from Greece. Present information suggests that, if formed, a Macedonian State would be dominated by, if not included in, Yugoslavia, and that Bulgaria would be obliged to accept this situation.
5. Mr. Bevin does not consider that Bulgaria and Yugoslavia would rest content with economic facilities alone. The failure of the Yugoslavs to make as much use as they might of their existing facilities at the free port of Salonika, no less than the Bulgarian claim during the Peace Treaty negotiations to retain the Aegean outlet acquired during the war, indicate that territorial considerations are still dominant.
6. Mr. Bevin regards it as particularly important at the present time to prevent the Macedonian question from becoming a practical issue or even a subject of international discussion. He therefore considers that, if there is any sign of a serious move by the Balkan Communists towards the establishment of a Macedonian State, both His Majesty’s Government and the United States Government should lose no time in making it clear publicly that they are aware of the move and are opposed to it. He would be grateful to hear whether Mr. Marshall agrees.5
- Dated July 8, 1947, not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. v, p. 1304.↩
- Ibid., p. 1306.↩
- Mr. Balfour presented the British aide-mémoire on July 21; during the ensuing discussion of the British communication with Messrs. Armour and Villard, he “was informed that the Department likewise did not look with favor on the formation of the Macedonian state under the conditions described, and that the only question in our minds was how and when to express our attitude, and whether in conjunction with the British or separately.” (868.00/7–2147) A written reply to the British aide-mémoire has not been found in Department of State files.↩