740.00119 Control (Bulgaria)/2–2745: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes)
63. Reurtel 107, February 27. The following is a paraphrase of the British proposals regarding the basis on which the Allied Control Commissions for Bulgaria and Hungary should operate during the period following the termination of hostilities with Germany:
- 1.
- American and British representatives should take their places as full members in the Commissions, having the right to be present at all meetings thereof and participating fully in consideration of questions before the Commissions. They should have also the right of direct access to the authorities of the respective countries.
- 2.
- The name and authority of the Allied Control Commissions should be used only when there is agreement among its three members, decisions of the Commissions to be unanimous. Should the Soviet High Command, being in de facto control in the satellite countries, insist upon issuing directives to the local governments or taking measures which the American and British representative do not approve, it should act unilaterally in its own name.
- 3.
- The degree to which American and British members will take part in the administrative and executive work of the Commissions will be determined on the spot. They must certainly have, however, the right to membership in any subcommittee or “executive rights and property” (sic).
- 4.
- Detailed implications of the foregoing proposals should be worked out on the spot between the Soviet Chairman and the American and British members.
The Department has under consideration the foregoing British proposals for the commissions in Bulgaria and Hungary in the second [Page 173] period and would welcome any comment you may wish to make thereon.
Sent to Sofia; repeated to Moscow.91
- As No. 563.↩