MOSCOW REPLIES TO NOTE ON BULGARIA

Chronicle (Levin), 11 March 1946, Page 5

MOSCOW REPLIES TO NOTE ON BULGARIA

WIDER REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT. Reeeived Sunday, 8.10 p.m. MOSCOW, March 10. The Moscow railio broadcast a reply I from the Soviet Commissariat for For- ' eign Afi'airs to the recent American | Note to Bulgaria on the desirabil'ity of ' including two members of the Opposit- . ion in the Bulgariim Govermnent, as 1 one means of qualifying for Un.ted States recognition. The reply claims that the American declaratiou yiolates the Moscow Conference's decisions about Bulgaria, which did not stipulate i that representatives of the Opposition ! must enter the Bulgarian. Government. j The reply accuses the American rept resentative in Sofia, Mr. Maynard Barnes, of systematically inciting the Bulgarian Opposition to act against the Moscow decision by putting forward new conditions for ensering the Government. . ' It adds : "The American declaration 1 was, moreover, a unilateral action, taken without consulting the other i interested. Powers." According to authoritati-Te quarters, ! Britain supported the American Note to Bulgaria of February 22 which "has now ' led to the protest from Russia, writes i the Exchange Telegraph 's diplomatic j correspondent. | "The main point raised in the recent j Soviet Note seems to he on the question of American pressure on the Bulgarian i Opposition," the correrpondent adds. | It is clear from the "Big Three" decis [ ion in regard to B.ulgarig that it is not j incumhent on the British or American j Governments to exert any pressure on | the Opposition to join the Government. i Certain terms should be accepted, inj cluding freedom of speech and freedom 1 of elections, and it was also- asked that | certain offices in the Government should j not be held by Communists. There was j disagreement on these points between the Government and the Opposition in I Bulgaria. The present position is one i of complete de-adlock."