Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

Editorial Note

On July 16, 1948, in response to their request, Vice Consul Donald F. Ewing of the Legation in Sofia agreed to meet, outside the Legation, two Bulgarian acquaintances whom he had previously known in connection with the visa work of the Legation. The Bulgarian secret police arrested the two Bulgarians in Ewing’s company. On the basis of documentation found in the possession of the Bulgarians and of alleged subsequent confessions regarding their part in espionage for the United States through Ewing, the Bulgarian Government declared Ewing persona non grata and requested his recall. On July 23 Minister Heath protested to the Bulgarian Government regarding the arbitrary nature of the action implicating Ewing as a transparently fabricated maneuver. Ewing subsequently left Bulgaria.