ALLIES & BULGARS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21549, 31 October 1944, Page 4

ALLIES & BULGARS

TERMS SIGNED officialTrmistice CONDITIONS - OUTLINED (By Telegrp^n—Press Assn.— RUGBY, Oct. 29. An armistice between Bulgaria and Britain, Russia and the United States was announced in London, Moscow and Washington tornight. The Bulgarian Government undertakes to disarm the German forces in Bulgaria and hand them over as prisonors of war and intern the nationals of Germany and her satellites. . The Bulgarian Government undertakes to make available such forces as may be specified .for service under the general direction of the Allied (Soviet) High Command. Such forces must riot be used on Allied territory except with the prior consent of the Allied Government concerned. On the conclusion of hostilities against Germany the Bulgarian armed forces must .be demobilised and put on a peacetime footing under the supervision of the Allied Control Commission. , Bulgarian armed forces officials must be withdrawn within a specified time limit from the territory of Greece and Yugoslavia in accordance with a pre-condition accepted by the Bulgarian Government on October 11. The Bulgarian authorities must immediately take steps to withdraw from Greek and Yugoslav territory Bulgarians who were not citizens of those countries on January 1, 1941, and repeal all legislation and administrative provisions relating to the annexation or incorporation in Bulgaria of Greek and Yugoslav territory. ... The Government of Bulgaria will afford the Soviet and other Allied forces freedom of movement over. Bulgarian territory in any direction if the military situation requires, Bulgaria giving such movements every assistance with her own means of communication and at her own expense by land, water or air. Release of Prisoners The Government of Bulgaria will immediately release all Allied prisoners of war and internees and, pending further instructions, will at her own expense provide them and displaced persons, including nationals of Greece and Yugoslavia, with ade'quate food, clothing, medical services and sanitary and hygienic requirements, also means of transportation for the return of any such person to their homeland. Bulgaria will co-operate in the apprehension and trial of persons accused of war crimes and will dissolve immediately all pro-Hitler and other Fascist organisations and will not tolerate the future existence of such organisations.

Bulgaria will restore all property rights and interests of the United Nations and their nationals and will hand over as booty all German war material.

Further terms provide for the Allied supervision of publications and broadcasting in Bulgaria, for the use of Bulgarian merchant vessels, guns, communications, power stations, industrial enterprises and for the regulation, supervision and exercise of the armistice terms by the Allied Control Commission under the chairmanship of a representative of the Soviet High Command, with the participation of British and American representatives.