Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, General, Volume I

840.48 Refugees/8–2344: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt)

Washington, August 23, 1944—5 p.m.

735. Please refer to your No. 1516 of August 18 (Ankara No. 135).⁶⁵ The War Refugee Board cable 104 below is for Hirschmann.

You are authorized to indicate to the Bulgarian authorities through appropriate channels that this Government is continuing to watch with great interest the status and treatment of Jews in Bulgaria and the action of the Bulgarian authorities with respect thereto. You may also indicate that if the Bulgarians are really interested in this matter, they will not only bring to an end immediately persecution of Jews in Bulgaria and the legal dispositions which made this possible but will also permit the entry into Bulgaria of Jews escaping from Hungary and furnish to them temporary havens of refuge.

It is our view that an appropriate occasion for any favorable publicity concerning the attitude of the Bulgarian authorities would present itself only after effective action has been taken by them.

We assume that you will inform us of any such specific action.

Your efforts in this whole matter are greatly appreciated.⁶⁶

Hull

65. Not printed.
66. The question of revocation of anti-Jewish measures was included on the agenda of a special session of the Bulgarian Parliament convened on August 17, 1944. On August 28 the Nuremberg anti-Jewish laws were formally withdrawn.