740.00119 European War 1939/17: Telegram
The Minister in Rumania (Gunther) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 2—4:30 p.m.]
296. For the President and the Secretary. The Rumanian Minister for Foreign Affairs71 today asked to convey to you his inquiry as to whether a peace initiative by President Roosevelt was under contemplation. He expressed his own deep interest in this possibility. Just before the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs had expressed his view to me that only through the initiative of our President could the peace movement be effective, he added that failing peace the outlook was indeed dark for Rumania, for either the Allies were victorious, in which case Rumania would have no protection against Russia, or Germany won, in which event Rumania would forcibly become its vassal. Both were of the opinion that a long drawn out war would only end in the destruction and misfortune of all Europe and provide a fertile field for anarchy.
- Grigore Gafencu.↩