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  4. Document 751

File No. 763.72119/1410

The Minister in Rumania ( Vopicka ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]
Jassy , March 1, 1918, 7 p.m.
[Received March 3, 10.07 p.m.]

46. Additional to joint [telegram of] the Allied ministers yesterday.1 I beg to ask for instructions in the matter which the Prime Minister asks us to submit to our respective Governments, as to whether I should oppose making of a separate peace by Roumania or whether I would urge Roumanian Government to fight to the end. Roumania is quite isolated and could resist attack by the Central Powers at the utmost only about two months which is also the opinion of the military attaché. It would seem that Roumania has made up her mind to make separate peace ever since armistice was [Page 761] signed. The Department will remember both myself and military attaché protested against armistice, as result has been demoralization of the Army.

There is danger that if the Allies oppose Roumanians’ peace plans, [in return] for a territorial concession Roumania may agree to fight with the Central Powers against the Allies. I do not wish to make this charge but everything is possible in the war.

I have attended meetings of the Allied ministers at their request, although our country is not one of the signatory powers. I have done this in order to obtain information regarding Roumania and also to keep the Department fully posted concerning the situation on the Russian-Roumanian front. When the above question came up yesterday I stated that it was a matter to be decided by British,. French and Italian Governments, but the Allied ministers as well as Prime Minister and King ask me to obtain the opinion and consent of the United States and therefore I am asking for instructions. The Allied Governments should fight [believe?] the two months resistance of the Roumanians would give them advantage on the western front.

Prime Minister stated that he would resign if the Allies insist on Roumania fighting, in which case a new Government would surely make peace without consulting the Allies.

Vopicka
  1. Apparently referring to telegram of the same date, infra. ↩