Paris Peace Conf. 181.9202/33: Telegram
General Bandholtz to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
[Received August 22—11:50 p.m.]
21. This afternoon I personally investigated in a few of the complaints concerning Roumanian seizures, etc., and found them to be true. I then called upon Roumanian General Rudeanu, told him I had found his people were now removing 4,000 telephone instruments from private houses and were about to take the remaining half of the supplies of Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs which they had not taken in first requisition, that they were seizing the few remaining Hungarian breeding stallions, that they had sent word to the Ministry of Agriculture to deliver them all maps, instruments, etc., and that I could give him only too many instances of like character. I told him that his Government had repeatedly promised to carry out the Mission’s instructions but that I had been here 12 days during which Roumanians had continued their seizures and had not returned a single thing despite their repeated promises. I added that we were all most anxious to cooperate but that I should like for once to telegraph my superiors that the Roumanians had shown any indication of an intention to play the game according to rule. He replied that in my place he would feel as I do, that he would confer with his colleagues tonight and would tomorrow let us know whether or not the Roumanian Government really intended to stop requisitioning and to return any property already seized. All of which [looks] like an admission they had all along intended to pursue the even tenor of their way regardless of the wishes of the Supreme Council.