874.00/4–146: Telegram
The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State
urgent
[Received 6:28 p.m.]
290. Please see mytel 287, March 31.92a I am sure significance of Russian Minister Kirsanov’s statement of midnight March 28–29 with respect to implementation Moscow Decision will not be lost on Dept. Kirsanov doubtless sought and obtained new instructions in period between two conversations reported mytel 282 March 29. Neither in earlier conversations nor in one subsequent to communication of his message to Georgiev did he say anything pertinent to immediate political situation in Bulgaria other than that Russia in no way sought to influence local Govt. In contrast to this deliberate secrecy of intent and action we unhesitatingly informed him of Secretary’s [Page 98] message urging mutual compromise and made forthright bid for Russian effort and one well within its competence, to remove Bulgaria as cause for dispute at sacrifice of nothing material to Russia’s security. Russia chose to ignore our appeal and once again to play lone hand and to seek further to undermine US prestige in Bulgaria. And just as in each instance of same sort of thing in past, public opinion in general has rallied to our point of view rather than to Russians’. If Russian policy could only comprehend these few simple facts and act accordingly in future, smoother sailing for cooperation between Three Great Powers in Bulgaria would become immediate fact.
Sent Dept as 290, repeated Moscow as 138 and London as 121.