My Lord, June 6th 1923.

With reference to my despatch No. 120 of the 21st ultimo relative to the Macedonian autonomist movement I have the honour to report that the Minister of the Interior summoned the representatives of the press a few days ago and informed them that it had come to the knowledge of the police that a decision had been come to by the Macedonian revolutionary organisation to assassinate the Prime Minister, the Minister of War, himself and two or three more leading Agrarians. The murderers were now in Sofia and were watching for a favourable moment for the perpetration of these outrages. The police were, he said, on their tracks but if they succeeded in effecting the murders in the ensuing acts of vengeance much blood would be shed and the victims would be innumerable. The Petrich and Kustendil districts, and perhaps also Sofia, would have the aspect of a cemetery. He concluded by appealing to the autonomists to cease from their methods of violence, to surrender for trial and judgement the criminals wanted by the Bulgarian Government and to abandon the administrative authority which they had illegally usurped, and to the Macedonian refugees in this country among whom there were good Bulgarians, to “act quickly in the proper quarter before it was too late as nobody wishes to cause innocent victims.”

While there may be a considerable element of bluff in these menaces, there is some danger that the murder of a minister would lead to reprisals against members of the Opposition, more especially certain bankers and journalists who are accused respectively of financing and encouraging the autonomists in their struggle with the Government.

I have the honour to be, with the highest respect

My Lord,

Your Lordship's most obedient

humble servant

(Signed) Erskine