[104-10435-10071.pdf — page 137]
# SECRETsent his to locate and tell the Mission to his situation. He brought his record to continue his efforts and escape if possible to the mountains. The guards were lax and he did succeed in getting away to revive his movement as the Bulgarian Democratic Rice, which was based on US democratic principles. At this stage, this same US military mission was also supporting Tito, and there were frequent military clashes between Tito's Communist and Dike's group. The general told Dike that Tito was fighting for the same cause but the general actually personally supported the Democratic partisans. He added that all would come out alright after the war.5. In 1944 when the Germans left Bulgaria the US did not fulfill the promise of going into the Balkans. The Soviets arrived instead. Dike's people begin to question his leadership but still tried to resist the Soviets, who rounded them at Shumen. The remnants retreated to the mountains to the north. Dimitroff went down to Colonel Beckless (ate) of the new US military mission to Bulgaria, chief of which was General Coverly (ate). Colonel Beckless knew nothing of the activity of the former military mission which by this time was operating entirely in Yugoslavia. However, he was interested in supporting Dimitroff against the Soviets and the Communists. He requested permission and aid from Washington but no word was forthcoming for months. Dimitroff therefore went to Yugoslavia and not General Coverly.Coverly was superior to the original US general Dimitroff had met. Coverly would not help him because of area jurisdiction.6. Throughout the winter Dimitroff's group supplied themselves with guns stolen from military stores in Bulgaria and started their fight again in the Spring of 1945. Dimitroff heard that his original US general was in Yugoslavia and journeyed east to meet him. He was again told that the general had no jurisdiction any longer for Bulgaria. On the way to say goodbye to the general, Dimitroff was seized by Tito's police and put in jail for 45 days on bread and sauerkraut. He was interrogated on his contacts with the US Mission during this time. The Bulgarian Communist Government wanted Dimitroff alive as the Yugoslavs turned him over at the border to a Bulgarian lieutenant colonel. Dimitroff persuaded the colonel to defect and they both went to Colonel Beckless' house, where Dimitroff remained to recover his health and the lieutenant colonel went to Turkey. With Beckless' assistance Dimitroff opened his underground headquarters in a convent about two miles from Sofia, although there was still no concrete aid from Washington. His people in the mountains were desperate and began to break up.7. At this time the military mission was reduced out of the country and was replaced by a US civilian group headed by a Mr. Gregorieff. After several meetings Gregorieff finally told Dimitroff he should no longer fight the Soviets that he would get no support from the US; that Gregorieff would not ask Washington for help and Dimitroff should give himself up. On the basis of this meeting Dimitroff considers Gregorieff a Communist. Dimitroff went to Sofia to meet Ambassador Barnes to express his suspicions about Gregorieff and to complain about the falseSECRET