LIBKAHY AiLÜïÛVBa G.500.M.196/1926.VII. LEAGUE OF NATIONS Geneva, September 3 t *., 1926. CQTJKCIL RESOLUTION DATED DECEMBER 14th, 1925 CONCERTOS THE GRBCO-BULGARIAN QUESTION (REFUGEES) Communication from the Greek Government. Note by the Secretary-General. In reply to the request for information made by the Council on January 10th, 1926, the following letter from the Greek Chargé d1Affaires at Berne is communicated to the Council, together with a note from the Greek Government on the work of liquidation carried out by the GireeoBulgarian Mixed Emigration Commission. The Minutes of the 276th meeting of the Greco-Bulgarian Mixed Emigration Commission, held on August 3rd, 1926, a copy of which was attached to the letter of tho Greek Chargé d'Affaires at Berne, are not reproduced ac they have already been communicated to the Members of th© Council and of the league in Document C.474.M.188.1926.I , dated August 27th, 1926. See also Documents C.171.1926 .VII C.474.M.188.1926.I. 2 „ OREL'S LE OAT I OK IE SV/IiPSSRIuJlB. Borne, August £8th; 1926. aslatlon. üjo the Secretary-G-en ?ral. Sir, Jr. reply to your letter of June 17th, I have the honour to inform you that on the proposal of the Oreek delegate, the Oreoc-Bulgarian Mixed. Oorumission, as nl'l 1 te Been from the attachai a:'..vate s of a meeting hell on August Sri, 1926, has prolonged the period for the deposit of declarations of emigration and liquidation demands made "by Bulgarians of Macedonia or Thrace, for three months as from the date of the first official publication in Bulgaria of this decision of the Commission. In conformity with the decision of the Council, I have the honour to communicate to you a note on the vzorlc ■ of liquidation carried out "by the Greco-Bulgarian Mixed C omission. I beg you to commun:!oato the contents of this letter and of the aocompao.ying texts to the Members of the Council of the League of l-Tauic.us. {Sgd ) . Y . DSH/RAMl3. Chargé d 1 Affair c-s. - 3~ NOTE FROM THE GREEK GOVERNMENT ON THE WORK OF LIQUIDATION CARRIED OUT BY THE GREC0-BULGARIAN MIXED COMMISSION. Declarations of Emigration. 48,742 v/ere submitted by Greeks in Bulgaria and 76,903 by Bulgarians in Greece. Of the Greek emigrants 19,480 had already left Bulgaria before the corning into force of the Greco-Bulgarian Convention on voluntary emigration; of the Bulgarian refugees 24,373 had left Greek territory before the coming into force of the Convention. Passes or passports delivered to emigrants. Up to the end of July of this year 50,7 02 had been delivered to Bulgarians from Greece and 26,731 to Greeks from Bulgaria. All the persons referred to in this para­ graph left their respective countries after the coming into force of the Convention. Requests for liquidation of property. Requests have been submitted by 18,61)3 Bulgarian emigrants in respect of their property in Greece and by 15,589 Greek emigrants in respect of their property in Bulgaria. Liquidation procedure consists, first of aL lk in the verification by the Commission cf the right to the property claimed by the ., applicants in respect of the property declared by them, and secondly of an estimate of their value and the payment to be made. It must be pointed out that the Commission could not undertake liqui­ dation before the end of theperiod laid down for the pr e ­ sentation of the demand for liquidation, namely December? 31st, 1924, in order to avoid loss of time due to possibilities 4 , confusion and in order to avoid excessive expense. For t M s reason the work of liquidation began in 1925. The Commission established several sub-committees in order to hasten on and finish this v-ork; the Greek representa­ tive , moreover, insisted particularly upon the utility of such a procedure in order to accelerate matters. In con­ sequence of this decision of the Commission the sub­ committees were increased from two to five in Llacedonia and from one to two in Thrace, Those operating in Bulgaria were increased from two to four. Up to the end of July this year the examination and verification of property rights were carried out in respect of 7,007 properties situated in Bulgaria .and belonging to Greek emigrants, and to 7,789 situated in Greece belonging to Bulgarian emigrants. The sub­ committees valued 407 properties in Bulgaria and 1922 in Greece. It should be added that the preliminary work for the liquidation of the claims still to be examined has to a large extent already been done, as the architects, surveyors and estimating offices have nearly finished their valuations and will shortly submit their report and conclusions. The Members of the Commission will base their final dédisions on the liquidation demands on these conclusions. Finally, the Commission has up to date given 040 liquidation decisions, of which 439 are in respect of the property of Bulgarians in Greece and 401 in respect of Greeks in Bulgaria..