740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/7–2345: Telegram
No. 810
The Representative in
Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Acting Secretary of
State
priority
377. Please see General Crane’s telegram 1951 to JCS1 reporting text of communication from min[ister of Foreign Affairs and Cults2 to the Deputy President ACC3 requesting establishment of regular diplomatic relations with Bulgarian Govt.
I have reported my views on this subject so fully during past few months that only comment now necessary seems to be to point out that in raising question Stainov has given Govts of the US, UK and USSR opportune occasion in connection with Potsdam meeting to express themselves on thoroughly unsatisfactory internal political and election situation. Now would seem to be the time to demand postponement of elections and amendment of electoral law in interest [Page 709] of truly democratic procedures permitting all political parties within framework of FF or other democratic groups that may so desire to put forward programs with right freely to bring individual platforms to attention of electorate and to present separate lists of candidates. Full safeguards to protect rights of electorate in period preceding elections and to assure liberty of polling and secrecy of ballot should be exacted.
Since July 15 it has seemed a militia rule rather than the exception for political visitors to the house of Agrarian Minister Petkov to be arrested and subjected to intimidating interrogation.
- Document No. 813.↩
- Petko Stainov.↩
- Colonel General Sergey Semenovich Biryuzov. The passage in brackets has been supplied to correct a garble in the original.↩