[C 7152] MAY 15, 1922

My Lord, Rome, 10. May, 1922.

I have the honour to transmit herewith a despatch from the Military Attache to this embassy recording an interesting conversation which he had recently with General Protogueroff of the Bulgarian army. General Duncan did not initiate this conversation and merely listened to what General Protogueroff had to say.

I have the honour to be, with the highest respect,

My Lord,

Your lordship's most obedient,

humble servant,

[Signature – Graham]

Despatch № 101

MILITARY ATTACHE.

BRITISH EMBASSY

ROME

10th. May, 1922.

Your Excellency,

Interview with a Bulgarian Macedonian leader.

I have the honour to report that on 8th. May I had an interview with General PROTOGUEROFF of the Bulgarian Army, who at the conclusion of the war was Minister of Supplies, and who is now a refugee from Bulgaria on account of a quarrel he had with M. STAMBULOVSKY.

General PROTOGUEROFF explained to me that he was a Macedonian Bulgarian, and that he was a member of the Macedonian Committee with which he had worked for many years. He at first told me that he and his committee were working for an independent Macedonia, he later qualified this by stating that he thought Macedonia should be an autonomous state, but part of the Bulgarian kingdom.

His present activities are particularly directed towards assisting the Bulgarians and Macedonians in the Serbian Kingdom. He stated that the Serbs were oppressing the Bulgarians; that the Bulgarian language was not allowed to be taught in the schools or even spoken, that the very large number of Bulgarian schools which had previously existed in the territory acquired by Serbia had all been closed, that Bulgars were allowed the right of voting for elections, but no Bulgar party was allowed in the Chamber, and that consequently the Bulgar party called itself communist.

He contended that the present Serbian Kingdom, comprising 13 nationalities, could not last unless it was formed into a Federation; and stated that his committee was preparing the ground so that when the situation developed the Macedonian Bulgarian element would be in a position to form the nucleus of an autonomous Macedonian State with eventual possession of SALONIKA.