800.51 W 89Rumania/49: Telegram
The Minister in Rumania (Jay) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:40 p.m.]
12. Referring to second paragraph of my No. 10, February 18, 6 p.m. I have not received information promised by Foreign Minister Duca, and shall not press for it.
It is my opinion that the Minister of Finance intends to wait until Mr. Kellogg assumes office,54 in belief, apparently based on conversations with Mr. Kellogg in Paris,55 that Department will be more amenable.
Minister Duca does not share Finance Minister’s optimism but he is powerless. There were statements in the local press yesterday that Duca had offered his resignation because of difficulties arising in foreign affairs through Ministry of Finance, but today matter is reported to have been smoothed out by Prime Minister. I understand that Rumanian Minister to the United States deferred his sailing so as to return same ship with Mr. Kellogg.
Situation set forth above will probably hamper my efforts to bring about refunding. So far I have elicited only vague promises and I cannot see that negotiations on any pending question would be imperiled by taking most energetic action, but before Department actually takes forceful steps I wish to inquire if it would be disposed to allow me to forewarn Minister Duca in informal and friendly way that such action by it is now definitely imminent.
- Mr. Kellogg succeeded Mr. Hughes as Secretary of State on March 5.↩
- At Finance Ministers Conference; see vol. ii, pp. 133 ff.↩