Paris Peace Conf. 181.9202/234: Telegram
General Bandholtz to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
[Received November 11—8:18 p.m.]
195. Roumanians this date submitted plans for evacuation from Danube to Theiss, covering 10 days, beginning November 13th. Beginning 13th the withdrawal [they withdraw] close [to] Danube, on morning of 14th they withdraw from city of Budapest. During same [Page 720] bridges will be guarded by Interallied troops until Roumanians entirely outside the city. Evacuation then proceeds daily until Theiss River is reached where in accordance with present plans Roumanians will hold a line containing five bridgeheads including important points of Szolnok and Czongrad. When questioned their representative said they had received no orders from Bucharest to retire beyond Theiss River. He was told that Supreme Council had notified Mission that it was intention to have all occupying forces withdrawn immediately to Peace Conference lines of demarcation and that Mission desired as quickly as possible schedule for Roumanian withdrawal from line of Theiss to line of demarcation.
An Interallied committee has been detailed to supervise transfer to Hungarians of prisoners of war held by Roumanians. Roumanians should be required to immediately release all prisoners of war whether civil or military, and such prisoners should be given option of Hungarian or Roumanian citizenship and not be obliged to accept latter on account of residential periods or holding property in Transylvania. There are indications that the Roumanians within past few days have shipped a great number of prisoners east and are leaving behind only undesirables either physically or on account of bolsheviki tendencies. It is present Roumanian plan if they completely retire to take up all temporary bridges across the Theiss. They should be required to leave all such bridges including pontoon bridges until further orders as otherwise it will be difficult to maintain communications with east Hungary.