Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

874.00/11–1848

Memorandum From the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)¹

confidential

[Washington,] November 16, 1948.

Subject: Suggested US reaction to Bulgarian condemnation of Kosta Lulchev and 8 colleagues, Socialists, last opposition members of the Bulgarian Parliament

discussion

The Bulgarian authorities have just condemned to terms ranging from life to ten years imprisonment, Mr. Kosta Lulchev and 8 Socialist colleagues who, after the elimination of Nikola Petkov and the outlawing of his National Agrarian Union, were the last opposition members of the Bulgarian Parliament. The charges against Lulchev and the others followed the familiar pattern. Their fate was predicted when, in the course of Parliamentary debate on January 12, 1948, Prime Minister Dimitrov threatened that they would follow Petkov if they did not cease criticizing Government measures.

Our Minister in Sofia believes it important that we react strongly to this final liquidation of Parliamentary opposition in Bulgaria. He suggests that (1) suitable reference to this development be made by GA Del in Paris, either in the full Assembly or in committee discussion on human rights, (2) the Department issue a press release similar to that released at the time of Petkov’s condemnation, (3) the Legation in Sofia address a note to the Bulgarian Foreign Minister taking exception to references by the public prosecutor during the trial to unfounded charges of US involvement with the defendants in improper activities and (4) we invoke the disputes procedure provided in Article 36 of the Peace Treaty, which contemplates eventual UN arbitration, on the basis of this further Bulgarian violation of the human rights provisions of the treaty.²

It is believed that action at the Assembly meeting in Paris should be left to the determination of the Delegation, that the Department should issue the suggested press release which should include the text of an appropriate note from the Minister to the Bulgarian Foreign Minister regarding the allegations of US improprieties but that we would not be well advised to invoke the treaty arbitral procedure in this connection at this time. There are attached draft telegrams to Sofia, repeated to London and Paris, in the foregoing sense and containing the suggested text of a press release including a note to the Bulgarian Foreign Minister.³ The Embassy in London is also instructed to discuss the matter with the British Foreign Office with a view to the latter taking parallel action.

recommendations

It is recommended

(1) that you approve the issuance of the attached press release including the suggested note to the Bulgarian Foreign Office, and

(2) sign the attached telegrams to that effect.

attachments

Draft telegrams.

1. The source text is initialed by Under Secretary Lovett.
2. Minister Heath’s views were set forth in telegrams 1410 and 1411, November 13, from Sofia, neither printed (740.0011 EW (Peace)/11–1348).
3. Telegram 679, 680, November 18, to Sofia, not printed. For the text of statement by the Department of State condemning the Lulchev trial and including the text of the note delivered by Minister Heath to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on November 20, see Department of State Bulletin, December 5, 1948, p. 710.