File No. 763.72/8196
The Minister in Rumania ( Vopicka) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 19, 5.14 a.m.]
191. Roumanian Minister for Foreign Affairs requested me to send following telegram which has been sent to all the Allies:
A situation parallel to that of Roumania would be difficult to find in history. It cannot be judged according to ordinary notions. We [Page 475] have [an army which has?] the Germans in front, has around it and in its midst a million Russians who do not wish to fight, who are clamoring loudly for peace and are openly hostile to us because we are not pacifists. Many of them are even plotting against us, organizing conspiracies and are taking measures to prevent eventual departure of the King and Government. Besides they are ready to leave the front and expose us. Our supplies can only come from this Russia which wishes peace at any cost. As part of our infantry is supported by Russian artillery as long as these circumstances last it is certain that Allies cannot count upon action on our oriental front, the Russians being unwilling to fight and our army being unable to fight. In spite of our very cruel losses aggravated from a moral and material standpoint by the devastations of this Russian Army, in spite of famine which is already making all our population suffer, we are determined to stand by our allies until the end and to make all sacrifices which can be really useful to the common cause. In order to follow such a policy we need unconditional confidence of the Allies otherwise all our sacrifices will have been in vain. The Roumanian Government which has never faltered even when it found itself betrayed concludes that it has the right to this unlimited confidence. Such confidence will enable the Roumanian Government to feel free to take such measures as it considers necessary in the execution of this resolution. Only those on the spot are in position to judge and decide in time intricate questions which change every minute and require immediate action. The Roumanian Government would not have full liberty of action if the Allied Governments were not convinced of its good faith and ability to decide what is possible from what not possible. Our aim is to gain time in order to give the Allies an opportunity of preventing a definitive Russian [withdrawal] and we alone are in a position to judge the best means of accomplishing this. Besides our interests are identical, our territory being occupied and our military forces annihilated by the Germans our only hope of salvation is the victory of the Allies. Such a victory is as necessary to us as to them. These remarks are necessary owing to what took place. There will be our decision regarding the armistice as well as by the numerous cases where the good will of our Allies did not materialize in time into useful objects.