868.00/10–1344: Telegram
The Ambassador in Turkey (Steinhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:47 p.m.]
1958. The Bulgarian Minister called to see me this morning and left with me an aide-mémoire which in translation reads as follows:
“After the turning over of all local administration in Thrace to the local Greek population was completed and after all of the administrative services of the State were turned over to the respective representatives of the local Greek population, the withdrawal has also commenced during the past few days of the Bulgarian troops from Thrace. This withdrawal will be entirely completed in the very near future.
“The landing of British troops in the Peloponnesus, the evacuation of the islands by the Germans and the fact that the line of retreat of the Germans has been cut by the approach of Soviet troops to Belgrade, have radically changed the military situation and have eliminated all serious danger of the appearance of German troops in Thrace.
“In view of this situation which has thus developed, the Bulgarian Government has hastened to give effect to its decision formerly taken to evacuate southern Thrace and to comply in this manner with the condition precedent demanded by the Allied Powers for the conclusion of an armistice. Dated Ankara, October 12.”
Repeated to London as No. 61 and Moscow.