740.00119 EAC/9–2544: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the “United Kingdom (Winant)
7852. Reurtel 7992, September 25. The comments of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the Bulgarian armistice terms having now been received, the Department authorizes you to present the following views to the EAC:
Preamble. It is the view of this Government that, in consideration of the British and American share in the war with Bulgaria and Anglo-American conduct of the earlier negotiations with the Bulgarians, the armistice terms should be signed jointly by representatives of the Soviet High Command and of SACMED. In case the Soviet delegate should still make the single signature a condition to his acceptance of the precondition providing for Bulgarian evacuation of Allied territory, you should press for joint signature even if this should necessitate the sacrifice of the British plan to require Bulgarian forces and officials to withdraw from Greek and Yugoslav territory before the opening of armistice discussions, as immediate withdrawal is in any case specifically provided for by the armistice terms.
As regards the wording “on behalf of the United Nations at war with Bulgaria,” the Department has no further instructions (Department’s 7671 September 20).
[Page 439]Article I. This Government accepts the view that Bulgarian troops should be employed against Germany and its satellites. The Department accordingly believes that, since the Soviet Government is prepared to accept parts 1 to 3 of the British Article I, the provision for disarmament and demobilization may be omitted from this Article provided some “general powers” clause such as the British have proposed is agreed upon.
Articles II to XVII, inclusive. Reference is made to the several instances in which the proposed terms mention the Allied (Soviet) High Command as the agency to control the enforcement of the armistice terms rather than the Allied Control Commission. Since the latter agency should have the responsibility for determining enforcement policies, it is recommended that consideration be given to the desirability of substituting in the appropriate places the words “Allied Control Commission” for “Allied (Soviet) High Command”. The Department has no further alterations to propose in these Articles and suggests that such minor changes as are or may be proposed are a matter for adjustment in the EAC.
Article XVIII. This Government agrees that for purposes of military operations the Allied Control Commission should be placed under the general direction of the Soviet High Command. In view of the necessity, however, for securing the essential interests of the United States and Great Britain in this regard, the Department authorizes you to press for the compromise draft proposed in your 7902 September 23 and approved in the Department’s 7797 September 25.94 The Department believes that it is highly important that a general powers clause be included in Article XVIII and would be willing to accept for this purpose the text given in part 1 of the British version of that Article as quoted in your 7775 September 19.
Sent to London; repeated to Moscow.