Mr. Wilson to Mr. Hay.
Athens, August 8, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 14, Roumanian series, dated July 17, 1902, relative to the proposed naturalization treaty between the United States and Roumania.
Since the draft of the treaty approved by the Department was submitted to the Roumanian minister for foreign affairs nothing further has been accomplished, as the Roumanian Government refused to consider the project favorably.
[Page 915]Upon the receipt of your dispatch, I called upon the Roumanian minister to Greece, who has within a few days returned from Roumania, and asked him if his Government, after examination, had found the draft of the naturalization treaty submitted to it acceptable.
Mr. Ghica told me that just before leaving Bucharest he had a long audience with the King, during most of which relations with the United States were discussed. His Majesty told Mr. Ghica that he considered a naturalization treaty between the United States and Roumania unnecessary, and that he did not favor considering the matter at all. Upon my endeavoring to point out to Mr. Ghica that, in our opinion, such a treaty would be of great advantage to both countries, he said that he would be perfectly frank with me and tell me the real objection that the King had expressed against the proposed treaty.
According to His Majesty’s opinion, a naturalization treaty would be most injurious to Roumania for the reason that it would complicate the already troublesome Jewish question in that country.
As you stated in your dispatch on this subject, on account of discrimination against them a large number of Roumanian Jews are driven from Roumania and a majority of them take refuge in America. If, therefore, there was a naturalization treaty, these Jews would return to Roumania and as American citizens claim rights and privileges to which they were not before emigration entitled. The King also fears that with a naturalization treaty between the two countries an even larger number of Jews would emigrate to America, and for the express purpose of returning to Roumania and claiming protection as American citizens.
I expressed to Mr. Ghica my regret that the United States and Roumania had been unable to conclude any of the proposed treaties, and expressed the hope that he would use his efforts to bring about a favorable consideration of the naturalization treaty, but as he assured me that the ministry and members of the Government shared the unwillingness of the King to consider such a treaty, I have not communicated with the Roumanian minister for foreign affairs, and shall await further instructions from the Department before so doing. * * *
I am, etc.,
Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.