Paris Peace Conf. 185.3123/13

The Minister in Switzerland ( Stovall ) to Colonel E. M. House

My Dear Colonel House: At the request of the Roumanian Minister in Berne, and his associates, I desire to enclose you a copy of an “Aide-Memoire” which he left with me and which bears on the proclamation of Union made by Transylvania and other States with Roumania proper.

I have [etc.]

P[leasant] A. Stovall
[Enclosure—Translation]17

The Roumanian Legation in Switzerland to the American Legation

Aide-Memoire

1. Seven hundred delegates from all the Roumanian provinces of Transylvania and Hungary, representing all social classes, all occupations, [Page 396] all religious confessions and all political opinions (among them appeared 40 Socialists), met December 1 at Alba Julia, the old capital of the principality of Transylvania and proclaimed unanimously, amid indescribable enthusiasm, the definitive and unconditional union of these provinces with Roumania.

One hundred thousand inhabitants, from all parts of the country, gathered around the place of meeting, awaited the result of the deliberations. When the result was made known to the throng it was received with delirious joy. The Roumanian people knew such happiness as never before.

2. The conditions of the armistice arranged between the Magyar authorities and the high command of the Allied Army of the East should be modified as follows:

(a)
A new arrangement ought to be made between the Roumanian Government and the Allies, who are henceforth its allies.
(b)
The old armistice concluded at Belgrade, signed by a Government foreign to Roumania (the Magyar Government) divides the Roumanian people into two parts, which causes difficulties and considerable confusion.
(c)
The Magyar officials, especially the Magyar police, should be disbanded and the authority transferred to the Roumanian Government, which undertakes and guarantees the preservation of order.
The presence of the Magyar officials, hostile to the native element (the Roumanians) and grieved at seeing themselves deprived of these provinces, daily provokes regrettable incidents whose consequences cannot be foreseen.

3. Two great dangers are to be guarded against:

(a)
Famine, productive of rash actions, and the lack of articles of prime necessity, such as textiles, thread, cotton, leather, etc.
(b)
The Bolshevist menace, which is encouraged even by the Magyar Government. Especially we call attention to the presence at Budapest of the friend and co-worker of Lenin, the famous Bulgarian anarchist, Dr. Rakovsky, who is in most dangerous company for the spread of Bolshevism in Slovakia, Yugoslavia and particularly Transylvania.

We have on this subject proof of the complicity of the Karolyi Government which wishes to provoke trouble in these regions with the sole purpose of maintaining its hold upon these provinces which are escaping from its control.

  1. Translation supplied by the editor.