874.00/11–1745
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of Southern European Affairs (Reber)12
| Participants: | General Stoichev, Bulgarian Political Representative, |
| Mr. Radoev;13 | |
| The Under Secretary | |
| Mr. Matthews | |
| Mr. Reber |
At his request General Stoichev accompanied by Mr. Radoev called on the Under Secretary at 5:30 on November 17. General Stoichev said he had been instructed by his Minister for Foreign Affairs to inquire what steps this Government wished the Bulgarian Government to take with respect to the forthcoming elections. He said that his Government had received our note but that it was at a loss to understand what steps would be required in order that the new Government might be found acceptable, particularly since full opportunity had been given the opposition to take part in the elections scheduled for the next morning. The Under Secretary replied that the note was quite clear and it was the opinion of this Government that elections conducted in the present circumstances would not give an opportunity to the people of Bulgaria to express a free choice. Mr. Acheson stated that these views had already been expressed on more than one occasion both by Mr. Ethridge, the special representative of the Secretary of State, and by Mr. Barnes, the United States Representative in Sofia; consequently the Bulgarian Government’s request for further explanations at this late date was somewhat a surprising one, particularly since this Government’s note merely confirmed what Mr. Barnes and Mr. Ethridge had repeatedly stated. He did not, therefore, think it was necessary in view of the time element to go beyond expressing the view that we could not feel that the elections would be conducted within the spirit of the Yalta pledge which had been assumed by this Government. When questioned by Mr. Radoev with respect to the authority of Mr. Ethridge to express the views of the United States Government, Mr. Acheson repeated that Mr. Ethridge was the special representative of the Secretary of State who had been sent out as an impartial observer to investigate conditions and to report his views. The note under discussion confirmed those views which were likewise those which Mr. Barnes had made known on behalf of this Government on repeated occasions.