767.68119/914

The Ambassador in Turkey ( MacMurray ) to the Secretary of State

No. 32

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the text, as published in La Republique of May 7, 1936, of a note of April 29, 1936 from the [Page 520] Rumanian Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Turkish Chargé d’Affaires at Bucharest, as well as the Turkish Government’s reply dated May 5, 1936.22 This exchange of notes is considered to represent the outcome of a series of conversations between officials of Rumania on the one side, and Turkey and certain members of the Balkan Union on the other, regarding Rumania’s hesitancy in accepting the remilitarization of the Straits by Turkey. Immediately after the delivery of the Turkish notes of April 10th,23 formally announcing to the powers signatory to the Treaty of Lausanne a desire for revision of its military clauses, reports began to be received in Turkey that Rumania would raise objections. In fact, during the course of the conversation between the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Shaw, Counselor of this Embassy, on the evening of April 10th (see Despatch No. 20 of April 14, 1936) the former was called to the telephone and was informed by the Turkish representative in Geneva that M. Titulesco was fearful of the effect upon Hungary and Bulgaria of the Turkish action with regard to the Straits Convention. On April 20th the Berlin radio station broadcast a report that a difference of opinion had arisen between Rumania and Greece on the question of the Straits. According to this report, Greece did not wish to oppose the Turkish project, while Rumania was trying to persuade her to do so and to advocate the maintenance of the status quo. The Secretary General of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, M. Numan Menemendjioglu, who had planned a trip to Moscow, changed his itinerary at the last minute and went by way of Belgrade and Bucharest. It is understood that this was for the purpose of bringing about agreement to Turkey’s proposals on the part of all the members of the Balkan Union and especially of Rumania. His efforts were apparently successful; and Rumania, before the meeting of the Balkan Union in Belgrade, expressed, in the form of the enclosed note, her willingness to discuss with sympathy the revision of the Straits Convention.

Respectfully yours,

J. V. A. MacMurray
  1. Neither reprinted.
  2. Ante, p. 503.