740.0011 European War 1939/42801: Telegram
The Minister in Rumania (Gunther) to the Secretary of State
307. My telegram No. 304, June 27, 4 p.m. The following is translation of the text of the Rumanian Government’s immediate reply to [Page 483] the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics’ ultimatum. For some as yet unexplained reasons communications with Moscow are at present interrupted.
“The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has addressed to the Rumanian Government a note which was handed by His Excellency Mr. Molotov, President of the Council of Commissars of the People of the Soviet Union and Commissar of the People for Foreign Affairs, to His Excellency Mr. Davidescu, the Rumanian Minister at Moscow, on June 26, 1940 at 10 p.m.
Animated by the same desire as the Soviet Government to see resolved by pacific means all questions which might produce a misunderstanding between the Soviet Government and Rumania, the Royal Government declares itself ready to proceed immediately and along the most broadminded lines to a friendly discussion and a common agreement on all proposals emanating from the Soviet Government.
In consequence the Rumanian Government requests the Soviet Government to be so good as to indicate the place and the date which it desires to fix for this purpose.
As soon as it shall have received a reply from the Soviet Government the Rumanian Government will designate its representative and it hopes that the conversation with the representatives of the Soviet Government will result in creating durable relations of good understanding and friendship between the Soviet Government and Rumania.”
There has as yet been no reply from Germany or Italy to Rumania’s request for their views. I have just left the Minister for Foreign Affairs who has now gone to the Palace to urge that full mobilization, now ordered for 12 midnight, be deferred on account of the impression it would cause. I find only a desire to conciliate if possible and to lead the affair into the channel of discussion but failing they are prepared to defend their territory. The British attitude in all this’ is not clear.
- This telegram is copied from the confirmation received by mail as the original was not received by wire.↩