740.00119 EAC/10–1244: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 12—8:33 p.m.]
8651. Comea 110. This afternoon Strang called at his request to report on the discussions in Moscow concerning the Bulgarian armistice terms. Since Harriman was present at some of the conversations and has presumably informed you fully I shall not repeat in detail the substance of Eden’s telegrams. Eden and Molotov agreed on a new draft for the preliminary condition of evacuation to be fulfilled by Bulgaria and to be verified by Allied Commission under a Soviet chairman. Eden agreed to make Moscow the place of venue and Molotov agreed to participation by SACMED or his representative in the negotiations with the Bulgarians and in the signature of the armistice.
The principal change is a new text of article XVIII, agreed upon between Eden and Molotov as follows:
“XVIII. For whole period of the armistice there will be established an Allied Control Commission in Bulgaria under chairmanship of Soviet representative and with participation of representatives of the United Kingdom and United States of America. Allied Control Commission will regulate and supervise execution of armistice terms under general direction of Allied (Soviet) High Command.”
Strang also gave me the following paraphrase of Eden’s comment on this new draft of article XVIII:
“New text as finally agreed represents a distinct improvement on United States draft of article XVIII. In order to avoid future misunderstandings, I made it clear to Molotov that in our interpretation of this article it was understood that in the first period there would be no direct British or United States participation in Control Commission [Page 451] but that Allied missions would be in the same position as in Roumania, but that in second period after cessation of hostilities there would be tripartite participation under Soviet chairmanship. Molotov agreed.”
I stated to Strang, as my personal opinion, that my Government would probably accept the precondition as drafted, especially since it has already apparently been broadcast on the Moscow radio. I also said that I felt we would be agreeable to Moscow as place of venue and to signature by SACMED or his representative. I stated that I could not see in what way the new draft of article XVIII represented an improvement on the US draft of that article; that I could not see that the draft article made any distinction between a first and second period of control in Bulgaria as outlined in Eden’s “interpretation”; and that I could not see any difference between the new article XVIII and the original Soviet draft (my 7816, September 20, midnight; Comea 92). Strang admitted that he could not see any difference between the original Soviet draft of article XVIII and the new draft. He is also wiring Eden to inquire whether the omission of the last sentence of the U.S. article XVIII (my 8547, October 10, 8 p.m.) is intentional; he said that the Foreign Office attaches much importance to that final sentence of the U.S. draft since it replaces an earlier UK draft article covering disarmament and demobilization.