Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, General, Volume I

740.0011 European War 1939/604: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State

Paris, September 28, 1939—7 p.m.
[Received September 28—3:10 p.m.]

2237. Gafencu, Foreign Minister of Rumania, stated to the French Ambassador in Bucharest this morning that the concentration of Soviet troops on the Rumanian border and activities of Soviet agents within Rumania were so extraordinary that he anticipated an almost immediate attack by the Soviet Union on Rumania. He stated to the French Ambassador that Rumania would resist any Russian attack. It is believed here that Rumanian resistance if any would be of extremely brief duration.

The French Ambassador in Rome has had another conversation with Ciano which was friendly but produced no concrete results.

The French are still hoping that the Turks will decide to sign the agreements with France and Great Britain within 24 hours.⁸⁹

The information of the French Foreign Office with regard to the Soviet-Estonian negotiations indicates that the Soviet Union has asked Estonia to conclude a defensive alliance with the Soviet Union.⁹⁰

Bullitt

89. The treaty of mutual assistance was signed at Ankara, October 19, 1989, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cc, p. 167.
90. Signed at Moscow, September 28, 1939, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cxcviii, p. 223.