File No. 763.72/9023
The French Ambassador (
Jusserand) to the Counselor for the Department of State (
Polk)
Washington,
February 12, 1918.
My Dear Mr. Counselor: The urgent telegram
I alluded to in our talk yesterday arrived piecemeal and the last
part (supposing it be really the last part which is not quite clear)
reached me only this afternoon.
You will find herewith a paraphrase of it. Will you be so good as to
let me know whether the American Government may decide to join us in
the very urgent and important démarche to be
made with the Roumanian King.
Believe me [etc.]
[Enclosure—Telegram—Paraphrase—Translation]
The Allied Ministers in
Rumania to the French Minister
of Foreign Affairs
King Ferdinand has
commissioned General Averesco to form the Cabinet. The General’s
ideas concerning the situation of his country are set forth in
our identical telegram of yesterday.
It must be expected that under these circumstances a separate
peace will shortly be concluded unless the Entente takes
initiatives apt to bring a decisive change in the situation.
That object cannot be achieved, in our opinion, except by an
immediate declaration to the King by the four Allies to the
effect:
That the Allied Powers adhere to all the engagements made with
Roumania, in accordance with the terms of the convention
concluded at Bucharest in August 1916; that in any event they
will not conclude any peace unless Roumania be reconstituted in
her integrity and, should the King be compelled to leave the
country, he be, as well as his dynasty, restored to his throne;
that in any event, the King and Government of Roumania will take
part, even though they have had to leave the national territory,
in the peace negotiations. Finally, that every financial or
other means needed for the conduct of the Roumanian Government
shall be supplied to that Government, the King, the Roumanian
Army and the Parliament, even though they be out of the national
territory.
We consider it highly desirable that this declaration be made
also in the name of the American Government although it is not a
signatory of the Bucharest Convention.
