Decypher. Mr. Rendel (Sofia).

15th August, 1940.

D. 11.50 p.m. 15th August, 1940.

R. 6.50 p.m. 16th August, 1940.

No. 493.

Your telegram No. 299.

Information at my disposal indicates that report is broadly speaking correct and in particular as regards outcome of visit to Berlin of Mr. Stanisheff (head of temporary National Macedonian Committee recently formed in Bulgaria) to get into touch with Germany and Italy.

It looks as though Germans and Italians both have schemes for “liberation of Macedonia” with which they are trying to attract Macedonians. But it is not certain that these schemes harmonise with each other. The interest of Germany in the matter may be confined to propaganda and intelligence work, while that of Italy may well be more direct and be concerned with a creation of an “autonomous” Macedonia as a means of weakening Yugoslavia and/or Greece.

As regards U.S.S.R. a recent Communist manifesto secretly issued here (see my despatch 352) warns Macedonians against seeking support of Axis powers and adjures them to assist in keeping the peace in Balkans.

Presumably however the Macedonians would accept any “autonomous” Macedonian state which a great power succeeded in establishing. Repeated to Angora, Athens, Belgrade.