File No. 763.72/8773
The Ambassador in France ( Sharp ) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 7, 4 a.m.]
3156. Joint telegram from the ministers of United States, France, England and Italy, dated Jassy, February 5:
In his reply to our collective letter, Mr. Bratiano, after having thanked us for the feelings of solidarity that we expressed to him, especially lays stress upon the sacrifices that Roumania has made in the cause of the Allied Powers and on her present situation resulting from the rupture with the Maximalists. He recalls that it was in agreement with us that he undertook police action against the Maximalist elements of the Roumanian front. He confirms his previous declaration that in case this otherwise indispensable action entails serious consequences the Allied Powers must consider that Roumania has fulfilled her duty and they must uphold their engagements with regard to her, even if the continuation of the struggle against the Germans were impossible. His letter concludes with an appeal to the solidarity of the Allied Powers with Roumania on the attitude to be ostensibly adopted towards the Maximalists and with a request that the situation of Roumania be examined by the Entente on the basis of the above-mentioned declarations and the present military conditions.
This language reflects the state of mind of the Roumanian Government and of the predominating public opinion, faced with the extreme difficulties of the situation, the [likelihood] of advantageous propositions to be made by Germany and the impossibility till now of the Allied Powers manifesting their assistance in a concrete form in the military domain.
We have been informed of the arrival at Jassy of the former Austrian [military attaché] at Bucharest in the character of an envoy of peace. We shall call on Mr. Bratiano tomorrow to question him on this matter and shall seize the opportunity to combat as forcibly as possible the state of opinion shown by the communication [from] the President of the Council.