Office of the Historian

874.00/5–846: Telegram

The Representative in Bulgaria (Barnes) to the Secretary of State

restricted
us urgent
Sofia, May 8, 1946—1 p.m.
[Received 3:34 p.m.]

365. I have received a letter addressed to SecState by Nikola Petkov signing for Bulgarian Agrarian Union, by Kosta Lulchev signing for Bulgarian United Social Democratic Party and by Professor Petko Stoyanov signing for Independent Bulgarian Intellectuals.1 Letter refers to fact that Charter of United Nations and principles laid down at Yalta Conference provided that democratic regimes should be created in all liberated countries to safeguard political rights of the people, namely freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of association and freedom of religion and then proceeds to make following points:

(1)
These liberties are guaranteed by Bulgarian constitution that has been trampled on in past by Fascist Govts;
(2)
The Bulgarian people fought Fascism to restore constitution.
(3)
Restoration of political liberties was cornerstone of FF political platform.
(4)
Communist Party subverted FF coalition into one-party system and behind screen of FF has deprived Bulgarian people of their fundamental rights and liberties.
(5)
Opposition public meetings and use of radio by Opposition are prohibited.
(6)
Prominent members and leaders of Opposition parties are held under detention.
(7)
Political trials have been instituted against these leaders.
(8)
Political murders have been resorted to.
(9)
Free religious instruction in schools has been eliminated—in fact religious freedom no longer exists.
(10)
Opposition press is persecuted and frequently suppressed.
(11)
New measures passed by FF National Assembly for defense of people’s authority and for control of press (See Mistel 332 repeated to London as 1342) have further disregarded constitutional rights of Bulgarian people.

Letter closes with statement that Bulgarian people, standing firmly behind Opposition, are fighting for establishment of true democratic and representative government by way of free and unhampered elections.

[Page 102]

Document with its enclosures on suppression of Opposition newspaper Narodna Zemedelsko Zname, an article from official newspaper of FF on amendment and completion of press law and law for defense of people’s authority and texts of original law for defense of people’s authority and of old press law of 1921 will be airmailed at earliest opportunity.

Sent Paris as 35,3 repeated Dept as 365.

Barnes
  1. Telegram 423, June 8, 1946, from Sofia, reported that a letter identical with the one described here had also been sent to Foreign Secretary Bevin. The British reply, addressed to the Opposition leaders on June 7, expressed general agreement with the Opposition views as to the undemocratic nature of the current Bulgarian regime and observed that the United Kingdom Government was withholding recognition pending a reorganization of the Bulgarian Government as provided for in the Moscow agreement (874.00/6–846).↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. The Secretary of State was at this time in Paris where he was participating in the meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers.↩